All In Isn't Just for Trigger Pulling
by Jane199
Summary: Sonny recovers, but is surprised when an unexpected hurdle in thrown in his way back to joining Bravo Team.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Sonny was happy to be back on base, after spending 4 days onboard the ship. He was less than thrilled to be headed straight to the base hospital. And, he was downright pissed off that he was strapped to a gurney with an oxygen mask on his face.

The only concession the guys would give him was allowing him to sit up, instead of laying flat on his back. He told the guys it helped his breathing, and it did. Kind of. But really, he wanted to look tough, and didn't want everyone staring down at him with sad eyes, asking how he was doing. Looking like a badass while strapped to a gurney wasn't something that Sonny could pull off in his current state, and he was grateful for the small concession.

Ray walked beside Sonny on his left side, with Clay to the right. Jason and Blackburn took position at the rear, deep in a heated conversation. Sonny didn't know what they were saying, but he heard his name more than once, so he had a pretty good idea they were talking about what happened on the sub, and what was going to happen next.

The group only managed to get a few yards from the plane before they saw the rest of Bravo team hurrying towards them. Cerberus lead the way at a fast clip, followed closely by Brock and Trent. Mandy wasn't in sight, but Sonny wasn't looking for Mandy, and wasn't offended by her missing the show.

Sonny was scanning the blacktop for one person, and one person only. He finally spotted Davis hanging back, looking worried, just as Trent reached his side and began bombarding the group with questions about Sonny's condition. Cerberus had already given Sonny a quick once-over and deemed him well enough, but the dog's diagnosis wasn't enough for Trent. Brock was content with a high-five and a slap on Sonny's back, which quickly sent Sonny into a coughing fit. After several apologies Brock called Cerberus to his side and they led the group towards the building.

Satisfied with the few answers he got from the group, and knowing he wasn't going to get any more medical details from this bunch, Trent took off at a fast job to get everything prepped before Sonny arrived at the hospital.

Sonny had lost sight of Davis in the storm of questions, barks and high-fives, but quickly found her standing in the same spot she was in before. She still looked worried, and the sight of her caused his breath to catch in his chest, for reasons completely un-related to his adventures at sea. As the group got closer to Davis, Sonny pulled the oxygen mask from his face and grabbed Ray by the sleeve, and pulled him as close as he could. Sonny looked into Rays eyes and asked "give me a minute, Ray. I gotta make it right".

Ray stared at Sonny confused and tried to shove the oxygen mask back on his face, which only irritated Sonny more. Ray finally caught sight of Davis standing 10 yards ahead, and realized what Sonny was talking about.

Ray had no idea what was going on with Sonny and Davis, they had been colleagues, teammates and friends for 10 years, becoming closer and closer with each of those years. He knew they were best friends, but he could sense a distance between them the last two weeks. There was a fire in their eyes at the sight of each other in meetings, instead of the playful smirks, and quick jabs.

No one would forget the words that were exchanged as Sonny was losing oxygen, and Ray knew that if it was important enough to be the last thing that he told his brothers before signing off, it was important enough to give Sonny a minute to say what he needed to say.

Ray looked down at Sonny and nodded, but told him, "you got 5 seconds. Make it count."

Sonny needed days to tell Davis everything he wanted to say. And he hoped she would give him the time to say it all, eventually. But he would take what he could get. And if Ray was give him five seconds, he would make it count.

As the group approached, Lisa stepped closer and was surprised when Ray stopped and pulled her to Sonny's left side. The look Sonny gave Davis could only be described as pleading. He had barely spoken at all since the sub, his breathing too labored and his throat too sore. He looked into Davis' eyes and croaked "I'm sorry, Lisa. Please forgive me," before he started coughing again and Ray pulled the oxygen mask back on his face.

Lisa stood shell-shock on the blacktop for a second, unsure what he best friend's words meant. The only thing she was certain about, was that her best friend was still her best friend. Lisa quickly jogged to catch up with the group, giving Ray a questioning look. Lisa was met with an equally questioning look on Ray's face.


	2. Chapter 2

Sonny was ready to get out of the hospital before he even woke up and realized he was there. He did do hospitals. He preferred a dimly lit bar to a brightly lit hospital. Neither smelled very good, but the bar had beer, whiskey and women. This hospital had jello, too many dudes in a close space, and too many doctors and nurses poking, prodding and questioning him every time he opened his eyes.

Sonny and Davis didn't get much time alone during the three days that Sonny was in the base hospital. Davis stayed at Sonny's side as much as possible, holding his hand as much for her benefit as his. She knew he wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon, but she still felt the need to hold on to him until Ray or one of the other guys made her go home to rest, shower or get some food. She needed to see his chest rise with each breath, and feel his warmth to know, really know that he was going to be okay.

The doctors were keep a close eye on Sonny, worried that there was a very good chance he would develop pneumonia. Sonny was asleep for most of the first two days at the hospital. Exhausted from his near-death, traveling half-way around the world, and the effort of breathing, Sonny let the doctors poke and prod without comment.

The team knew as soon as Sonny started complaining every time he opened his mouth that he was well enough to do home. They knew him well enough to know that a quiet Sonny was a Sonny they needed to worry about. A loud, annoying Sonny was a Sonny on the mend. They didn't need a doctor to tell them that, they just needed the doctor to sign off on his release.

The doctors granted Sonny his release on day four, if he checked in with Trent to test his lung capacity daily.

The team bantered back and forth about whose house Sonny was going to stay at first. Jason offered his place, with a promise of a big-screen TV featuring nothing but football for the next five days.

"Come on. Mikey would has been asking about you, and would love to hang out with Uncle Sonny," Jason offered.

Not to be outdone, Ray countered, "Yeah, I don't think so. Jason is a worse cook than you. And Naima would kill me if she heard you were staying with anyone other than us. Her cooking as healing properties, I swear. Plus, the kids love you, and they watch the same nonsense TV you do. Saddle up, cowboy. You're coming with me."

Davis watched from the corner of the room, with a smirk on her face. She knew where Sonny was staying, and it wasn't with one of the guys. After Spenser offered his place as an option, to be soundly rejected by everyone in the room by smell alone, everyone looked at Davis, as if she was the one that needed to be the tie-breaker and decide where Sonny was staying.

Davis cleared he throat, gave Sonny as quick glance and a pat on the shoulder and told the guys that Sonny was going home with her. She had an extra room, and her place was quiet. The guys begrudgedly agreed, with promises to stop by and check on Sonny the next day.

Before leaving Trent gave Sonny's chart one more read-through, not that he needed to read it again. He had the chart memorized by day two, and could tell you every stat that changed since Sonny was brought it.

Clearing his throat, to interrupt the whispered bickering of Sonny and Davis, Trent said, "Hey! The doctor is serious about you checking in to get your lung capacity checked. You aren't out of the woods yet. I want to see you before Noon tomorrow, or I'm getting you readmitted. Got it, cowboy?"

Sitting up straighter, Sonny nodded, and said with a smirk, "Yeah, buddy. I got you. You'll be my first stop of the day, right after the bar." Trent rolled his eyes, and looked at Davis, knowing at least she would know the seriousness of the situation. Davis sighed, rolled her eyes and told Trent, "I'll drag him in if I have to. He'll be here."

Satisfied that Davis was on the case, Trent waved good-bye to them both, and left the two of them alone for the first time since Sonny walked out of the equipment cages, with a promise to "keep it professional".

As soon as Trent's shadow was out of sight, Sonny turned to Davis and start his well prepared apology, "Davis, I'm so...", only to be cut off, "Save it cowboy. Let's get you out of here. We have plenty of time to talk, and I have more than a few things to say to you, too."

Sonny wasn't sure what to think of Davis' words, but the smirk she gave him as she grabbed the University of Texas hat off his head gave him hope that they might find some common ground.

Davis hooked her arm in Sonny's and steered him in the direct of the nurses station, where his nurse was waiting with a stack of release forms, and after-care paperwork. Sonny gave Davis his best full smile and handed her the ball-point pen. Davis returned his smile, and the pen, telling Sonny, "Sorry, cowboy. That's all you. I'm going to get the car".

Sonny watched as Davis sauntered down the hall, nearly missing her turn back to make sure he was looking. Fully turning, Davis hollered back, "And, hurry up. I'm hungry!"


	3. Chapter 3

Once Sonny settled in the passenger seat with his eyes close and his head resting back against the seat, Davis turned to her best friend with worry in her eyes. "Hey, you okay? Really okay? Not any of that tough-guy garbage, where you say you are okay and we realize two hours later you have been shot".

Sonny's eyes opened with a start, and threw his hands up in mock-defense. "That was one time. Davis," he said. "One time. And I was fine."

"And to answer your question. I feel like crap. I will never again take breathing for granted. I had no idea how much it sucks to actually have to think about breathing. Breathing is exhausting."

Wanting to say a thousand things a once, Davis wasn't sure where to start. Davis reached for Sonny's hand, giving it a quick squeeze, as he closed his eyes and rested his head back on the seat.

Turning the key over to start the car, Davis glanced at Sonny, and said, "Where to? Need anything before we go home". Sonny squeezed Davis' hand, and drawled, "I just want to get some beer, get some food, take a real shower, sleep in a comfortable bed...". Sonny paused, before adding, "and hang out with you."

Davis chuckled to herself and shook her head. Sonny could be a smooth talker when he wanted to be. Glancing at her half-asleep best friend, Davis couldn't help but wonder what she had gotten herself into.

Pulling up to her apartment complex, Davis turned off her Jeep, and gave Sonny a gentle nudge with her elbow. "Hey, we're here. Get up, I'm not carrying you up those stairs."

Groaning from the passenger seat, Sonny opened the door and stretched his sore muscles. Sonny waited while Davis grabbed her bag from the backseat and was surprised when she handed a second bag to him. Recognizing the bag as his own, Sonny asked "What's this? You get the guys to break into my place?"

Davis responded with a laugh, "You wish. I've had a go-bag for you for months. You were a disaster after the last deployment. I got used to saving your butt every other week, and just keep the bag for when you, or one of the other guys, need it."

Walking into Davis' place, Sonny couldn't help but flash to the last time he was here. He had some very good memories, and one that he would rather forget, that took place in this apartment.

Sonny tossed his bag in the guest room, then walked back to the living to crash on the couch while Davis flipped through her junk mail. Sonny flopped on the couch and put his foot on the coffee table and watched Davis slowly unwind and become Lisa. She tossed her bag on a chair in the kitchen, untucked her uniform shirt. She reached up to take down her pony tail, slipping the hair tie on her wrist as she turned to Sonny, and said, "Hey, I'm gonna take a quick shower. You want a beer?"

Sonny was startled from his daze of watching Davis, and barely registered what she had said. He tilted his had and looked up as Davis, smiled, and said, "What, you're gonna make me drink alone?"

Grabbing two beers from the fridge, Davis opened both, handed one to Sonny and took a quick sip from the other. "Not for long," she responded. "Give me five minutes and I'll join you."

In the five minutes that Davis was gone, Sonny had fallen into a loose sleep. Slumped on the armrest, with his head resting on his fist, he didn't look particularly comfortable, but Davis didn't want to wake him none-the-less. Davis sat on the opposite end of the couch, with her legs up facing Sonny. She didn't watch him for long before he stirred awake, with a sigh and a low "hey, Davis. You gonna keep starring at me like that forever".

Realizing she has been caught, Davis shifted on the couch, hooked her arm in his, rested her head on his shoulder, and said "You wish," before getting up to hand Sonny the stack of take out menus.

"You mentioned food, anything you in the mood for?"

"I'm good with whatever. That good pizza place near here still deliver?" Sonny asked.

"Oh, yeah. You want all meat, or should I throw some veggies on there too."

"Whatever, you want. Except anchovies, that's just wrong."

With the food ordered, Sonny and Davis fell into an awkward silence, with Sonny on the couch and Davis wandering around the kitchen looking for something to clean or put away. Neither knew what to say, but both knew it needed to be said.

Finally, Sonny looked back at Davis, catching her eye. He sighed, and said, "Come here. We need to talk."

Davis knew Sonny was right, but she wasn't sure she was ready to hear what he had to say. This conversation could go in several different directions, and Davis wasn't sure she wanted to face the reality of a few of those directions.

With a little hesitation, Davis sat down on the couch and looked at Sonny. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. They both wished they could just stay there, forever, but reality would eventually find them, and they needed to hash out their issues. Davis settled into Sonny, leaning on his chest with his arm wrapped around her, and her head on his shoulder. Davis faced away from Sonny as he started talking, not sure if she could look him in the eye, just yet.

"Lisa, listen. I had a lot of time with my thoughts on that submarine. And, it gave me time to figure out what I want, and what is important to me. I'm sorry for walking out on you. And, I hope you can forgive me for being a jackass. If OCS is important to you, then I'm in. I'll support you any way I can. I'll help you train, or help you study that damn manual. I want to be there for you, if you let me."

Lisa leaned back and looked up at Sonny, "Thank you. I'm sorry, too. I should have told you, but I knew you weren't going to be happy about it. I know you hate "cake-eaters", and I know why. I just hope I can be the type of office you and the rest of the guys can respect."

"Darlin'," Sonny sleepily drawled, "you won my respect, and the respect of all the guys a long time ago. I wasn't mad you were becoming an officer, I was upset that you were leaving, just as I finally figured out what was in front of my face for the last ten years."

"Yeah?" Davis questioned. "And what was that?"

"You're really gonna make me say it, aren't you, Davis?" Sonny sighed. "You. My best friend. As soon as you kissed me, I knew I wanted to keep kissing you. At the time, I thought you might want to keep kissing me, but..."

Sonny paused, unsure how to say what wanted to say.

"I know your career is extremely important to you. And I don't want to screw that up for you. I don't want us to screw that up for you. I want this. I want us. I want to keep kissing you. But I respect you, and I'm willing to take whatever you are willing to give me. If you want to go back to being just friends, I'm all in. If you want more, I'm all in. You are my best friend. You make me a better person. And, I want you in my life, however you see you fit best."

Sonny stopped to let his words sink in and take a much-needed deep breath.

Davis turned to face Sonny, cupped his face with her hands and firmly kissed him on the lips.

"Sonny," Davis started shakily, "I don't want to define anything tonight"

Seeing the split-second hurt flash across Sonny's face, Davis quickly added, "If we don't define it, the Navy can't define it, and if they can't define it..."

"Maybe we can make this work."

With Davis' last sentence, Sonny wrapped Davis in a bear-hug, pulling her on his lap, and kissing her deeply. Pulling away to catch his breath, Sonny looked at Davis with a smirk, and said, "Damn Davis. I think I just went through rejection twice. Next time, lead with the good news".

Lisa shoved Sonny's hat down on his head, and laughed, just as the doorbell rang.

"HA," Sonny laughed, "Saved by the pizza. That was way too many feels for one night."


	4. Chapter 4

After eating half a pizza and most of a 12-pack of beer, the pair sat in comfortable silence, watching stupid television shows that neither cared about, but both wanted to prolong their time together. After watching Sonny nod off for the third time in the last half-hour, Davis declared it was time for bed.

Deciding they wanted to continue their relationship didn't make choosing sleeping arrangements any easier, for either of them.

Neither wanted to jump into bed together, but neither wanted to spend another night alone.

Sonny walked to the guest bedroom and pulled out the go-bag that Davis had packed for him. He wasn't surprised to find pretty much everything that he needed. The only missing piece was his cowboy hat, which he was pretty sure was still in her kitchen.

Davis stopped by to check on Sonny to make sure he had what he needed, and was comfortable. With a shy smile, Davis bid Sonny good-night and headed down the hall to her own room.

At 3am Davis woke up to the sounds of Sonny coughing. It started as a few hacking coughs, and only got worse from there. Davis rushed to Sonny's room to check on him, finding him bent over the side of the bed coughing his guts out and struggling to breathe. After what felt like hours, but was probably no longer than five minutes, the coughing slowed, allowing Sonny to finally acknowledge the woman in his room.

"Well... That escalated quickly. Sorry, I woke you. I'll try to hack my lung out quieter next time."

"Shut up, and get in bed, cowboy," Davis teased. "The coughing I can explain. If you fall out of this bed and get a concussion Trent will never forgive me."

"Well, okay, Then. As long as Trent will be happy," Sonny grumbled.

"Slide over. You clearly can't be left alone." Davis sat on the bed next to Sonny, resting her head on his shoulder. She debated whether or not to call Trent and tell him about Sonny's coughing and difficulty breathing. She settled for a text, knowing they had to check in with Trent in a few short hours anyway.

Glancing over at Sonny, he was fast asleep with his arm around her waist. Content that he was breathing steadily, Davis snuggled into Sonny's chest and shoulder and tried to go back to sleep, knowing it would be hard. Should could barely get the imagine of him trapped in the torpedo tube out of her head as it was, but seeing him in so much pain, and unable to catch his breath would be harder to shake.

Sonny woke first. The sun that was streaming in the windows finally hitting his face at 9am. He woke to unfamiliar surroundings, first thinking he was back in the hospital, but quickly realized he was at Davis' apartment. If the floral comforter didn't do it, the weight of a 130lb badass navy woman on his shoulder quickly jarred his memory to last night, and their conversation.

He ran his hand through his hair, and thanked any god that would have him for how that conversation ended. He wasn't sure how they would deal with OCS or the UCMJ. He knew there were more conversations to be had, but for now he didn't really care. He was happy, and that was enough.

Davis stirred at his side, making him grin a stupid grin that he hoped she didn't see. "Hey, Davis. If I had known all I had to do to get you in bed was almost die, I would have tried it a long time ago."

Davis gave him the eye, "don't even joke about that. I almost dragged your sorry butt back to the hospital last night."

"What? Too soon?"

"Yeah. Too soon. Now, get up. Trent is blowing up my phone. He wants to run some tests after what happened last night and he wants to run them before you eat. Says food and caffeine could mess with the results."

"And, how does Trent know what happened last night? Last I checked I woke up before you."

"Texted him. You're lucky I just texted him. If I had called he would have been here running test on you five hours ago."

"Ugh, alright, alright. Do I at least get to take a shower? Is is that gonna skew the test results, too?"

"Go, shower. Do us all a favor," Davis said with a smirk that turning into a broad smile as she left to get herself ready for the day.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Sonny and Davis barely got their boots on base before Trent, and the rest of the team, descended on them with questions about Sonny's condition. As much as he knew the guys were just worried about him, it didn't stop him from wanting to punch each of them in face every time they asked how he was doing.

Frankly, he felt like complete crap and wanted to go back to bed. Especially, if he could convince Davis to stay in bed with him, he thought with a smirk.

Sonny followed Trent, as the rest of the team peeled off to go fill out their after-action reports. Blackburn had given them a short reprieve, but with Sonny out of the hospital his bosses were no longer waiting patiently for the paperwork.

With promises to catch-up later, Sonny grumbled his way down the hall with Trent. "Is this really necessary? I'm good, Trent. I'm walking, and talking, and breathing. What more could you ask for?"

"Sorry, buddy. Davis filled me in. That cough, that you are trying so hard to suppress right now, might be pneumonia. If we get you on antibiotics early, it shouldn't be too bad. But if your stubborn ass fights the doctor's on this, it could get worse. You want to be out of action for a couple weeks, or a couple months?

"Okay. You win. I'm here, tell them to do what they need to do. You sticking around?"

"I can't believe Davis ratted me out," Sonny grumbled as Trent checked his vitals.

"Sorry, man. She cares about you. Not a bad spot to be in, if you ask me," Trent responded with a shrug. "And, yeah, I'm sticking around. Now. Be straight with me. What's going on with your breathing?"

"Ah, geez, man. I'm good. Quit your worrying. I'm good," Sonny lied.

Trent saw through his bravado and pushed. "Garbage, and you know it. And you know I know it. I've watched you sit there for the last five minutes, practically gasping for air. Now, tell me what's going on."

"Fine! I feel like crap. Like I got hit by a Mack truck, and they backed up and ran me over a few times for good measure. I can't get a full breath, and every few minutes my body, I don't know. Gasps or something. Like it knows I'm not getting enough air, and it tries to get as much as it can all at once. Sometimes, it is almost like yawn, and sometimes it feels like a panic attack. Oh, and it feels like the Hulk has me in a bear hug and won't let go. That's all I've got. Happy now?"

Trent, isn't happy. At all. He's worried, "No, jackass. I'm not happy. Contrary to what your stubborn ass might think, your misery does not bring me joy. So, next time, just tell me what's going on."

"Shirt off, the doctors are going to run some tests and figure out how to get you better," Trent said. Before adding, "Stubborn pain in the ass" under his breath.

"Okay, we done here. You can put the biceps away," Trent said with a laugh. "

The doctor turned to Sonny to give him the results. Your lungs still have a little fluid in them. But they are healing. You are light years better than you were when you were first brought in. We are going to start you on a round of antibiotics, as a precaution. That cough doesn't sound good, but you are negative for pneumonia. The side effects of the antibiotics aren't bad, you're just going to be tired for the next four to five days."

"There is one thing we need to keep an eye on. Your bronchial tubes are inflamed. That's why you are gasping. We need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get any worse. We're going to get you started on a couple of inhalers. A steroid inhaler to help heal your bronchial tubes, and then an emergency inhaler for when your breathing becomes restricted to the point you are gasping again."

"Wait. Like asthma? You want me to carry around an inhaler like a nerd?"

Trent jumped in to respond before the doctor could. "You are impossible. Yeah. I you are going to carry around an inhaler like a nerd. If it gets you better and gets you back on the team. Yeah. You can ruin your reputation as the Navy's one true badass for a week. I promise, no one is gonna shove you in a locker or steal your lunch money," Trent teased as he walked out of the room to consult with the doctor about Sonny's prescriptions.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

"Davis! Thank god you are here. I don't know how you put up with him. He's a pain in the ass."

"I know. That's why the Navy pays me the big bucks. To put up with him. And the rest of you, Davis laughs.

"They've put him on antibiotics as a precaution. And, have given him a couple inhalers for the shortness of breath. He needs to take one puff of the white one at night, before bed. That's the steroid one. It will help heal the damage in his bronchial tubes that is causing the breathing issues. The blue one he can take as needed. Watch him and make sure he uses it. Mr. Tough Guy doesn't think he needs it, and I don't really care what he thinks. Any questions?"

"Is he gonna be okay? Really, okay? Are his lungs going to heal? Will the bronchial tubes heal? You know he doesn't do well with down time. He needs the team. How long will he be out?"

Trent sighed, unsure how to answer. "Well, he going to be out at least a couple weeks. Everything should heal, but there are no guarantees. He needs to go home and rest. Really rest. Put him on the couch and give him the Netflix password.

"He's going to complain. He's going to be a pain in the ass, but he needs to rest. He needs to get better, and the only way that is going to happen is if he takes it easy for a couple weeks."

Davis looks a Trent, sees the seriousness all over his face, and nods. "I got him. I'll make sure he does what he is supposed to do. I'll get the guys to come over and keep him company."

"Or hold him down," Davis adds with a grin. "Thanks, Trent. I know he won't tell you, but he really appreciates you looking out for him. So, where is he? He was just here," Davis adds with a sigh.

Trent scratches his head and looks at Davis. "Geez. He needs a leash, like a stupid puppy. He's probably over in building 3 with the guys. You want me to go get him?"

Davis waves good-bye to Trent, "I'll go. I need to check in with Blackburn anyway."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Just as Davis was pulling open the door to building three, she heard the distinct southern drawl and the sharp bark of Sonny's laugh off to the left. There was an open space between buildings 3 and 4 that the guys have made into their outdoor gym.

He better not be doing anything stupid, Davis thought as she jogged the short distance to the group.

"Davis, how's my right-hand woman?" Sonny hollered when he saw her coming.

"Looking for you. Doctor's orders, you're going home. To bed. No workouts. All rest, all week," Davis replied with a stern look that gave Sonny pause.

Ray chucked Sonny on the shoulder, "Playtime is over, buddy. Rest up, get better. You'll be back before you know it."

Clay walked over after racking the weights he had been lifting. "You need anything, let me know. I'll stop by tonight with some beer, we can hang out. I'll even bring the good stuff that Davis likes," he added with a wink in Sonny's direction and a sincere smile for Davis.

"Let's go, big boy. We need to stop by the pharmacy and pick up your drugs before going home," Davis says while hooking her arm through Sonny's. "Later guys!"

"Hey, you assholes better not get spun up without me. Give me a week, and I'll be good as new!"

"Is that so?" Jason says, with a clap on Sonny's shoulder. "Alright, I'm going to hold you to that. If not, you owe us a case of beer, and not that high-class raspberry-infused crap the kids are drinking."

"Sure thing, Boss. But it won't matter, I'll be back"

"Go home," Jason orders. "Heal. Get better. I don't want to see you back for at least a week. And, I'm going to be checking in with you. And with Davis. We all are."

Davis tugs on Sonny's elbow, pulling him towards the car.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Thought you'd never ask, Davis. I feel like crap. And, I'm kind of freakin' out. What if this doesn't go away? What if my lung don't heal? What if my bronchial whatever never gets back to normal? I can't be a Tier 1 operator with screwed up lungs. What happens to me then?"

"Sonny, you can't think about that now. The only thing you need to worry about is getting better."

"Easy for you to say."

"Hey. I get it. I know what being a SEAL means to you. I know what the team means to you. And, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you get better and get back. But you have got to put in the work and focus on what you can control. And, that is getting rest and taking the meds that the doctors prescribed. Got it? I'm here for you. And so are all those guys back there."

"Okay, okay. I got it. I'm good. I got it. Geez, Davis. That was a lot of feels for a Wednesday morning."

"Unbelievable," Davis mutters as she starts the Jeep.

"What?" Sonny asks, as he puts his head back and reaches up to change the radio station.

"Don't even think about it. Besides, where here. Let's get your meds and anything else you need. You're on house arrest for the rest of the week."

"Yes, ma'am," Sonny exclaims with salute and a laugh.

"I'm serious. You're not leaving the house for a week. Doctor's orders. And if you don't want to follow the doctor's orders, I'm pretty sure Jason said the same thing."

Sonny opens the door, walks around the Jeep and opens Davis' door. Stepping back to let her get out, he pulls her to his chest as soon as she was up-right. "You know, I thought you've be a little nicer now that we are, whatever we are," Sonny laughs and gives Davis his best smile.

There had been too many serious conversations, and too many feels the last few days for Sonny. He just wants to hang out with his buddies and not think about what may or may not happen.

Davis lets Sonny pull her in, knowing the hug is as much for his benefit as it is hers. She reaches up and strokes his beard, "I am nice. Heal up, and I'll show you how nice I can be," she adds with sly smile and wink.

"That is just wrong, lady. You just gonna leave me here, with that on my mind."

"Come on. Let's get this over with and get home."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sonny and Davis were curled up on the couch watching Netflix. They wanted something light, having had too many dark experiences in the real world for the last few weeks. They settled on "Hart of Dixie" for the time being and were four episodes in when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Davis hopped up, tossing the blanket over the chair, not wanting Clay to get the idea that she and Sonny were curled up together on the couch.

Opening the door, Davis was met with an enthusiastic Clay. "Hey, I brought beer, and take out. I wasn't sure what you liked, but I know Sonny is a fan of Chang's, so I got the left-side of the menu. I hope that's okay."

"Come in, come in. Yeah, Chang's is great. But how many people are you planning on feeding? This is enough for ten"

"Well, when the rest of the guys found out I was coming over, they might have mentioned stopping by. Sorry. They're just worried about, well, everything. Not that they would admit it."

"It's fine, I get it. I'm worried about him too."

"Blondie! You bring beer? Get in here!"

Lisa went to the kitchen to grab extra plates and utensils, giving Sonny and Clay a chance to talk.

Sonny could sense something was bothering the young SEAL, and after a few moments of silence, turned to his brother and said, "Out with it. What's going on? You look lower than I've seen you in a while. It's not Stella again is? Please, tell me it isn't Stella."

"It's my fault," Clay blurted.

"Your fault? What are you talking about?"

"It's my fault you got stuck in the tube. It's my fault you almost died. It's my fault your lungs are screwed up. It's all my fault. You got to the tubes first. I should have been last. It should have been me."

"Listen here One Direction, it was my decision for you to go before me. Right? Not yours. Not Jason's. Mine. And, if I had to do it over, I'd make the same choice. Got it?"

"Yeah, I get it. But..."

"No buts, Blonde-zilla. I'm 3, you're 6. My decision."

Clay nodded. And Sonny notices the heavy weight that has been on Clay's shoulders for the last week evaporate.

"Is this why you've been moping around all week? What did you think, I was gonna be pissed at you?"

"I wasn't sure. I don't know. I thought they'd blame me for going first."

Sonny stands up and looks down a Clay. With a nod of his head, "Get up. Come here," Sonny grabs Clay's hand and pulls him into a bro-hug.

"Kid, no one is pissed at you. We're a team, and we do what is best for the team. Yeah. It sucked, but I'm here. And I'm gonna be here tomorrow, and the day after that."

"We had to file our AAR's yesterday."

"Yeah, Blackburn told me. I guess I'm getting a reprieve for a day or two. He hasn't asked for mine, and I don't want to relive that any sooner than I have to. Little bit of a mind fuck

by the higher ups to make you relive your own death if you ask me. I'm sure that wasn't much easier for you, Ray and Jason, huh?"

"Nope." Clay says, reaching for his forgotten beer. With a smirk, he adds, "Next time, could you maybe not draw it out so long? I had to write four pages on your sorry ass."

Sonny throws a pillow at Clay, who dodges it as he leaps from the couch to go help Davis in the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Zac Efron. Would you like me to schedule it in advance, so you won't miss your hair appointment?"


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

The team slowly files out of Davis' apartment, shouting words of encouragement to their brother as they leave around midnight.

Davis collapses on the chair and looks at Sonny, who is half asleep at one end of the couch. "Who is going to clean up this mess?"

"I was gonna leave it for Blondie to clean up in the morning," Sonny mumbled as he opened his eyes and looks at Clay asleep on the other end of the couch, and then at Davis.

"Or, I'll get off my ass and do it now?" he adds quickly.

"Yeah, you do that." Davis says with an eyeroll.

Davis joins Sonny gathering plates, bottles and napkins off the coffee table. They make quick work of the mess, both ending up in the kitchen.

Sonny walked up behind Davis as she was washing the last few dishes at the sink, standing close enough that their shoulders touched. "Thanks. For everything. I know this isn't normal. But I really appreciate it."

Wrapping an arm around Davis, Sonny pulls her to his chest. Leaning down, he lifts her chin until her lips are just out of reach of his own. With a sultry smirk, Davis leans in and kisses Sonny, wrapping her arms around his back. Just as they were getting lost in the moment, Clay rustles on the couch, bringing them back to reality.

Davis steps back, as Sonny puts his hand to his chest, and reaches into his back pocket. "Damn, woman", he says with a grin, "you're gonna kill me if you keep that up", as he puts the inhaler in his mouth and finally catches his breath.

"I'm going to kill you if you keep doing that when we have company."

"You're right. That was my bad. I'm sorry. Never again."

Sonny tossed a blanket over a sleeping Clay, before turning off the lights and going to bed. He secretly hoped he would have some company but knew he and Davis needed to set boundaries when the team was around, if they were going to make this work.

Davis lightly knocked on Sonny's door, before sticking her head in to wish him a good night. She shook her at the sight of a shirtless Sonny on the ground, doing push-ups. "You know, you can take a day or two off, right? I'm pretty sure those biceps aren't going to waste away if you take a rest day."

Sonny stood and looked at Davis with fake hurt. "Don't mock. Trent said I could do push-ups and sit-ups, and I'm gonna stay as ready as I can. I don't intend on stay on the bench long. As soon as I'm cleared, I want back on the team."

Davis knew that the jokes were half-real, and half hiding the fear that Sonny felt. She knew he was worried about not getting cleared. She was worried about him too. She wasn't sure what would happen to him if he wasn't cleared to re-join the team. She just prayed they wouldn't have to find out.

"I know, just take it easy." Davis said with a quick kiss, before adding, "Good night, Cowboy. Make sure you take your meds, and holler if you need anything."

"Night, Davis."


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Davis heard Clay leave around 2am. She got up to make sure the door was locked. It was, which would normally baffle Davis, as the only way to lock the door when leaving was with a key, that Clay didn't have, but she gave up wondering how the guys got in and out of each other places a long time ago.

Quietly walking back to her bed, she heard Sonny moving around, and decided to check on him. He wasn't coughing as he had been the night before, but he was in worse shape. He was sitting up in bed, gasping for air. He gasped once, twice, three times before he finally got the air he needed to start breathing normally.

"Are you okay?"

Sonny just shook his head, unable to talk, and unsure of what to say. He was breathing normally for now, but he was freaking out over what he just experienced. He wasn't even sure he could describe it to her. He had been asleep when all of sudden he woke up not being able to breath. It started with a little shortness of breath. Not too bad, and probably something that he wouldn't have even noticed after a night at the bar. The shortness of breath quickly escalated into involuntary gasps of breath every few minutes. Finally, it culminated into what Davis just witnessed: feeling like the Incredible Hulk was crushing him, along with a sharp stabbing pain in his left lung every time he tried to breath. The pain was too much the first two times he had gasped for air, finally subsiding with the third attempt.

"I good. I think. Just a little difficulty breathing." Sonny said, rubbing his chest, and his back. "I think I'm good"

Leaning back on the pillows, finally looking at Davis, Sonny shook his head, "what the hell just happened? That was worse than getting kicked in the ribs by a horny bull. Damn, that was not fun."

"You tell me. Is that the first time this has happened?" Davis responded, sitting next to Sonny on the bed.

He saw the worry in her eyes, and couldn't decide if it was better to lie, and tell her it was the first time, or be straight with her and tell her it had been building all night, and she just witnessed the grand finale.

He decided to go with the truth, or at least most of the truth.

"This? Yeah, that's the first time that's happened, and I hope it's the last time. I feel like I've been run over. Geez, my back feels like I went a few rounds with Mike Tyson. It's been off since the hospital, but not like this. A little shortness of breath, that weird yawn gasp thing, but the inhaler has helped."

"This felt like someone was stabbing me in the lung every time I tried to take a breath, and the deeper the breath I tried to take the worse the pain felt. "

Letting out a sigh, Sonny looked at Davis, "Kid leave?"

Davis chuckled, knowing where Sonny was going with this line of questioning. "Yeah, Clay's gone. I got up to make sure the door was locked when I heard you."

"I guess that means we don't have company anymore, huh?" Sonny said with grin, as he settled down in the bed and offered Davis his shoulder as a pillow.

Unsure whether she should let Sonny out of her sight after what she just saw, she crawled into bed with him. Kissing him on the cheek, she reached across him and picked up his phone from the table beside the bed. Handing it to Sonny, she gave him a nod. "You need to tell Trent what happened. Send him a text."

Without too much complaining, Sonny sent a quick text to Trent. He didn't want to worry Trent at 3am, so he was short on details, but gave enough information to satisfy Davis.

"Happy, now?"

Davis responded with a kiss, dropping her head on Sonny shoulder and her arm across his chest.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sonny said chuckling as he closed his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Trent came by first thing in the morning to check on Sonny, wanting to get answers and not willing to wait for Sonny to come to the base.

"Well, your lungs sound a little better, but from what you are telling me, the asthma is worse. I've asked around, and it looks like this could last up to two weeks."

"Crap."

"Sorry man. There's not much I can say. The doctors can run some more tests, but they aren't going to really tell them anything they don't already know. You just have to wait it out."

"I was talking to Dr. Chen about anything we could do to speed up the recovery, and she mentioned your diet. She said you could try an anti-inflammatory diet."

"You mean that wacko thing Tom Brady is on, where he eats organic spinach and bone broth for dessert? No, thanks."

"Yep, that's the one. But not that severe. Basically, you cut out foods that are known to cause an inflammatory reaction in most people. Basically dairy, wheat or gluten, and limit the processed foods with added sugar. You're not much of a junk food eater, but you'd have to give up beer and pizza."

"Damn, you really know how to hurt a man. What did I ever do to you?"

"I thought you said you would do everything you could to get cleared and back in action," Davis said, handing Trent a coffee mug and dropping one in front of Sonny.

"It's only two weeks, and there is more to life than beer. Like whiskey." Trent added with a smile. "Remember, Sandra, the yoga instructor I dated last year? She was all about gluten-free, sugar-free, everything. It wasn't that bad."

"Yeah, but at the end of the night, you got to sleep with a yoga instructor. What's my prize for giving up beer? Breathing? Great."

Davis walks away from the duo mumbling "unbelievable" and walks into her room to take a shower.

"What did I do?" Sonny yells at a Davis' back, looking a Trent.

"Don't look at me."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Davis and Sonny fell into a comfortable routine the next few days. They spent most days hanging out together on the couch, reading or watching TV. Sonny rifled through Davis' bookshelves looking for something to read, finally selecting the first Harry Potter, much to Davis' amusement.

The team were frequent visitors. Clay stopped by for dinner every night, missing his two drinking buddies. Everyone gave Sonny a hard time about his new diet but were secretly happy and proud that he was sticking to it.

When the guys were around, Davis and Sonny didn't try to hide their relationship, knowing the guys would pick up on any sudden shift in their behavior. Not that they were flaunting their relationship, either. They mainly tried to ignore the fact that there was a relationship, and act like the best friends that they were.

So far, none of the guys had said anything that indicated they thought something was amiss, but Davis wasn't really expecting them to. Ray was like a big brother to both her and Sonny, and she knew he would say something if he thought she and Sonny were doing anything out of line. Clay was the only other team member that might say something. He's still young enough that he hasn't developed the filter that most of the guys had and had a habit of asking questions the other guys knew not to. It was a good habit when planning a mission, not so great when dealing with the ladies.

After watching Sonny's asthma attack, Davis didn't want to leave Sonny alone all night, and Sonny wasn't about to turn down an offer to sleep with Davis. Even if it was an offer of just sleep, with clothes on. They hadn't approached the subject of sex, both secretly wanting to make sure Sonny was really okay before taking that step in their relationship. The affection was there, but they both hit the brakes before any clothing was removed.

Sonny's breathing had leveled off by Friday. He still had difficulty breathing and continued to involuntarily gasp for air multiple times a day, but the full-on asthma attacks had pretty much stopped, and his chest and back weren't as sore.

The next step in his recovery was a neurological exam on Monday morning, or as Clay put it, "they need to check to see if Sonny still had some brain cells".

Being without oxygen for 4 minutes wasn't good, but they were all confident that Sonny would pass, and be cleared for active duty. That didn't mean Sonny was having a worry-free Sunday night.

There was a football game on the TV, and Davis was sitting on one end of the couch with her legs up, resting on Sonny's quads. She was half reading a book and half watching Sonny. She knew he was on-edge about the exam in the morning and wasn't sure how to broach the subject. She just knew he needed to get out of his head a little and focus on something else.

"Looks like Brady is having his way with your boys."

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Sonny responds, realizing he'd been caught-up in his thoughts so much that he had no idea what was going on in the game.

"Watt could have had two sacks already, if the officials would let him touch Brady without throwing the flag," he grumbled.

"You thinking about tomorrow?"

"Yeah. One test, that I can't study for, could decide the rest of my life."

"You'll pass. Trent already checked you out. Your eyes track, no headaches, balance isn't an issue."

"You're right. I just need a distraction."

"Well, maybe I could help." Davis shifts to the other side of the couch and wraps her arms around Sonny's broad shoulders.

"What did you have in mind?" Sonny asks with a cocked eyebrow.

"Shut up and kiss me, cowboy," Davis responds as she reaches up to meet Sonny's kiss. Running one hand in his thick hair, and the other caressing his beard, she deepens the kiss as he pulls her onto his lap.

"Yes. Ma'am," Sonny mumbles as he catches his breath between kisses.

Sonny shifts down on the couch, lying down with Davis on top of him. With no one around, they are free to let their pent-up desire go. Davis reaches down to the hem of Sonny's shirt and yanks it over his head, taking his hat with it. With Sonny's tanned chest and abs now on display, Davis takes a second to appreciate the view, before trailing kisses down his body. Stopping half-way down Sonny's abs, Davis looks up at Sonny with a devilish grin.

"Distracted yet?"

"Uh, huh" was all Sonny could manage, before pulling Davis in for a passionate kiss on the lips. Needing more, Sonny moves to her jawline, before heading south, kissing Davis' neck and beyond.

As Sonny heads further down, he pulls up short. Sitting up, the best he can with Davis still half on top of him, he grabs at this chest, gasping for air. Finally getting the deep breath he needs, he slumps down and looks at Davis.

"Sorry. I guess that was the universes' way of stopping us from going to far."

"I guess so. You okay?"

"Nothing a cold shower and beer won't fix."

"Ha, very funny. Cold shower you have, but you might have to switch that beer for whiskey. Doctors' orders."

"Yeah. Not sure whiskey is such a good idea, right now. Unless you are trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?" Sonny adds with a wink and a huge grin.

Davis just throws a pillow at her best friend and rolls her eyes. Getting up, she hands Sonny his shirt, but keeps the hat for herself, and lightly kisses him on the lips.

"I'm glad you're okay. And you're going to be okay tomorrow too."


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Waking up next to Davis was still a surprise for Sonny, but one that he could get used to. He loved how she curled into him to keep warm, and how he could smell her shampoo when she rested her head on his shoulder. Davis usually woke up first, silently crawling out of bed without waking him.

Today she was still fast asleep, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to attempt to try to get out of bed without waking her. He had left many beds in the middle of the night, but this was different. Most women he went to bed with were happy to keep to themselves, and he wasn't exactly encouraging them to cuddle, after. With Davis, he wanted to know she was there, and she was happy to be there for him.

Sonny's internal debate ended quickly when Davis stirred under his arm.

"Hey, cowboy. You're up earlier than usual."

"Just wanted to get the day over with as soon as possible, I guess."

"Let's get breakfast, and we can go in together. I told Blackburn you had your test this morning, and he wanted me to come in and go over the reports from the last Op."

"Sounds fun. Wanna trade?"

"I would if I could, but I'm pretty sure the Navy would notice if I showed up for the neuro in your place. You want eggs or oatmeal?"

"It's like you don't know me at all, Davis. When have you ever seen me voluntarily eat oatmeal?"


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Walking down the corridor, Sonny was so lost in his own thoughts that he walks right by Trent, Clay and Ray. They had commandeered three chairs outside the neurology testing room and had no plans to move until their brother was cleared.

"Hey, Sonny Boy!" Ray yelled, waking Sonny from his thoughts of dread.

"What are you guys doing here? I'm pretty sure neurological exams are not a spectator sport."

"Just here to lend some moral support, brother."

Clay clapped Sonny on the shoulder, "What he means is, we're here for actual evidence that you have working brain cells".

"Ha ha, Pretty Boy. I have plenty of brain cells, and they work just fine, thank you."

Sonny chats with the guys a few minutes, killing time before his 9am appointment. When he finally walks in to the office, he feels a little better.

The initial exam lasted over two hours. The doctors evaluated his cranial nerves, deep tendon reflexes, ocular tracking and cervical range of motion. Sonny let the doctors do what they needed to do and tried to do his best not to freak out.

Sonny had no idea if his results were good, or bad, when the doctors declared they were finished with the tests and would be ready to start the practical tests at 1pm.

Sonny was surprised to find Trent, Clay and Ray still in the hallway, this time joined by Brock and Cerberus. They all jump from their seats when Sonny walks out the door, all talking at once.

"Hey man."

"How'd it go?"

"You cleared yet?"

"BARK!"

"What did they say?"

"Woah, woah, woah. Not done yet. I have to come back a 1, for the practical."

Clay grabs Sonny by the neck, steering him down the hall. "I guess you have two hours to kill. Let's get food."

"Yeah, sure. Where's Boss?"

Ray scratches his head and avoids Sonny's eyes. "I don't know, man. He's on base, I saw his truck in the lot. But I haven't seen him. Probably got pulled in a meeting with Blackburn."

"Yeah, sure. Let's go."

The team piles into Clay's truck, Sonny in the passenger seat, Ray in the back, with Trent, Brock and Cerberus in the bed. Clay drives to the closest, team-approved, Cerberus-friendly spot he can think of "Senior Taco". Sonny keeps lunch a light-hearted affair, steering all conversation away from submarines, his breathing issues, and the upcoming tests.

As the team walks from the lot back on base, they run into Jason. He seems uneasy running into the team, and completely avoids eye contact from all of the guys, especially Sonny. He mumbles something about needing to get something out of his truck and runs off before anyone can call him out on missing lunch with the team.

"Was that weird?" Sonny asks, turning to Clay.

"Yeah, man. That was weird. I wonder what he's up to?"

"No idea."

"Hey, it's 12:55, you gotta get back."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going."

Sonny walks back to the neurology office and is quickly escorted by two young blonde nurses to one of the rehab suites. There the doctors run him through drills to test his coordination, balance and ability to follow a serious of directions.

Sonny had no idea what half the drills had to do with his brain, but he was happy that he could move around, and could gauge whether he was doing well or not. The guys were happy that the rehab suite had a wall-to-wall window, so they got to watch their brother go through the drills.

The doctor tells Sonny to stand on one leg and throw a 20lb medicine ball against the cinderblock wall. Sonny raises his eyebrow, and shrugs, easily smashing the ball on the wall, and perfectly keeping his balance. The hallway erupts in a chorus of hoots, catcalls and high-fives and the guys celebrate their brother's success.

The rest of the drills go much like the first. Sonny shuffles to different colored markers, in a random order called out by the nurse, then has to close his eyes, and turn North, South, East, and West according to the doctor's calls. Sonny doesn't notice Davis has joined the audience until he hears her laugh, and calls of encouragement. Her sudden appearance distracts him and he promptly screws up the next drill - catching and throwing back three differently colored tennis balls.

By the time the drills are over, Sonny is exhausted, and his breathing is ragged. Davis tosses him an inhaler and gives him a hug.

"Looks like your brain still works, at least from what I saw."

"Could you tell Blondie that? I'm not sure he believes it yet."

The doctor and nurses walk out to join Bravo team, momentarily interrupting their celebratory high-fives.

One of the nurses hands Sonny his paperwork, and Davis notices a bright yellow post-it note stuck to the first page, with "Call me" and a phone number. Davis laughs when she sees the name at the bottom, Brittney. She plucks the note from the paperwork and hands it to Sonny,

"What is up with you and girls with names that end in Y?"

Confused, Sonny looks at the note in his hand, shakes his head, gives Davis a smirk and hands the note to Clay, "I think this one is for you, Pretty Boy. It's from the blonde."

"Huh? What blonde?"

"The nurse."

"They're both blonde."

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not…"

Just then, they were interrupted by the doctor.

"Well, Mr. Quinn. Your results are pretty clear. I see no neurological damage, what-so-ever. I'll send a letter to your C.O. officially clearing you. Rest up those lungs, you should be back in action soon."

"Thank you," Sonny says, shaking the doctor's hand, and turning to the group of SEALs, who are slowing moving in to party mode. "Let's get out here. Hospitals give me the creeps."

"Where to Tex? Drinks are on me," Clay offers.

Trent steps up, reminding everyone that Sonny is currently still wheezing from his neuro workout, and needs to go home, and rest.

Clay breaks into a broad grin, "I can work with that. To Davis'!"

"You guys are on your own. I still have a stack of paperwork to get through." Looking around the group of SEALs, Davis eyes Ray and Sonny, especially, before proclaiming, "Spenser is in charge, don't screw it up."

Ray and Sonny speak at once.

"What? The kid? That's just wrong."

Davis walks back to building 3, leaving the team arguing over where to go to celebrate.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Sonny quickly convinces Trent that he was well enough to have a couple drinks at the bar, reminding him that there is little difference for his breathing in sitting at home drinking, or sitting at the bar drinking.

"Come on, man. I've been sitting at home for an entire week. We go home after happy hour, scout's honor."

"I'm pretty sure you were never a boy scout, but let's go. But one wheeze, and I'm dragging you home."

"All right!" Sonny exclaims, high-fiving Clay and Brock.

Ray throws an arm across Sonny's shoulders and steers him to the parking lot. "I can't stay long. Naima is on me to build her that bookcase before we get spun up again. And she would kick my butt if she knew I was out drinking with you while you are still recovering."

"Your secret is safe with me."

They roll out to their favorite bar. None of them remember why it's their favorite bar, but they don't question it. Clay buys a round of beers for the guys, and whiskey for Sonny.

"Anyone heard from Jason?"

"Nope, texted him earlier. Told him to meet us. Nothing back."

Sonny frowns, a little hurt that Jason is less-than-enthusiastic about his newly-cleared brain.

"I texted Davis, Blackburn and Jason. Two of them responded. Guess which two? Blackburn is going to his daughter's volleyball game, and Lisa is in a meeting."

Brock shakes his head.

Trent holds up his phone for the group. "I texted him as soon as the doc cleared Sonny. He said 'ok, great'." Shrugging his shoulders, "at least it is something."

Sonny looks at Ray. "What's going on, man? You got to be straight with me. Something's up with Jason."

"I don't know, man. I'd tell you if I knew, but he hasn't said anything to me, about anything. He's kept to himself since we got off the sub."

"Something's up. I've seen all of you guys almost every day, and I've seen Jason maybe twice in the last ten days. He's avoiding me, but I don't know why."

"I'll figure it out. I'll corner him tomorrow on base. Don't worry about it."

Getting back to their drinks, the guys move on from the mystery of their missing leader, instead focusing on their teammate getting another step closer to being back in action. Happy hour comes to a close, but not soon enough. Sonny is tipsy, and ready for a party. Ray and Clay wrangle him into Clay's truck.

"What am I going to do with him? Davis is going to kill me. He's half-drunk, and ready for more."

"Sorry, man. You're on your own. Davis left you in charge, remember?"

"Come on. You know he doesn't listen to me."

"Sorry, man. I have bookshelves to build. I've known Davis a long time, she probably won't kill you. Him, maybe. But she'll probably spare you."

"Thanks… I think." Clays says as he climes in his truck.

The drive to Davis' apartment is quick and uneventful. Sonny is chatty, pestering Clay about calling Brittney the nurse.

"I'll make a deal with you. If you can act sober enough that Davis doesn't kill me for getting you drunk, I'll call her"

"HA. You're on Romeo." Sonny laughs and closes his eyes as he rests his head on the seatback.

Walking up to Davis' door, Clay gives Sonny a quick glance, hoping the drive had sobered him up a little.

"Act cool. Or Davis is going to kill me."

Davis opens the door as they approach. "What are you two doing out here? I have neighbors, you know?"

Sonny has sobered up slightly, not enough that Davis doesn't notice that he is tipsy, but enough that she isn't going to yell at either one of them, for now.

"Drop him on the couch. How's his breathing?"

"I'm good Davis, Trent was watching me like a hawk all night."

"Uh huh." Davis responds, looking at Clay.

"Oh, um. Yeah. He's been good. I don't think he's used the inhaler all night. That's good, right?"

"Yeah, that's good. Thanks for looking out for him."

"Hey" Sonny calls from the couch. "I'm right here."

"And you are staying there for another week."

Clay looks at his two friends and teammates, and smiles, scratching his head. He hopes he can find someone that cares about him as much as these two look out for each other.

"Alright, I'm gonna head home. You guys have a good night."

"Good night, Clay. Thanks, again."

Clay waves off Davis' thank you, as Sonny hollers from the couch. "Don't forget to call the nurse!"


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Sonny wakes up on Wednesday feeling almost normal. The gasping has pretty much stopped, but his breathing is still a little shallow. He has more energy than he has had since the sub, and he has no intention of spending another day on the couch.

After a quick breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs, Sonny starts laying the groundwork for a field trip.

"So, Davis. If you weren't stuck on "Make Sure Sonny Doesn't Do Something Stupid" detail, what would you be doing right now?" Sonny asks, knowing that she would be on base, by 8:30am, and hits the gym at 12pm every day.

"What are you up to? You know exactly what I'd be doing, and exactly when I'd being doing it. You've known me for 10 years, and I know you pay attention more than you let on. Like when you called me out for working out in the morning a couple months back. Out with it. What are you up to?"

"All right. You got me. I'm bored. Don't take this the wrong way, because I really appreciate everything you have done. More than you'll ever know. But I'm itching to get a change of scenery, at least for a little while."

"What did you have in mind, cowboy?" Lisa asks with a raised eyebrow.

"You usually go to the gym at 12pm, right?"

"You know I do."

"Well… Let's go. You know you want to get out of here as much as I do. Let's go. Please?"

"Doctor's orders, Sonny. Not mine. You have three more days until the check you out again. And, besides. Wednesday is yoga. You don't do yoga."

"Darling, I'll do whatever you want. If it gets you in tights and me outside for an hour."

"Call Trent. If he says you can do yoga, we'll go. If he says no, you're stuck here on the couch for the next three days. Deal?"

Sonny laughs, and calls Davis' bluff. "You don't think I'll call, do you?"

"I guess it depends on what you want more. Out of this apartment, or to keep your meathead reputation."

Sonny picks up his phone, and dials Trent.

"What's up, Sonny? You okay?"

"Yeah, man. I'm good. I'm bored out of my mind. That's why I called. I have a question, but you have to promise to keep it between us."

"Okay… Sure… What's up?"

"Well, I'm bored. And I'm feeling good. And I want to get out of the house."

"Okay."

"I know the docs said I couldn't work out. But, um…"

"If the word stripper comes out of your mouth I am hanging up the phone."

"What? No! Geez. Come on! Geez. Davis has a yoga class at noon. And she said I could go, if you said it was okay," Sonny rushed to say, hoping Davis hadn't heard Trent mention strippers.

"What? Did you say yoga?"

"Yeah. Davis has a class at noon. So, can I go? It's just like stretching or something, right? How hard can it be on my lungs."

"Oh, man. You? Yoga?"

"Can I go, or not?"

"Yeah, man. Go for it. Just be careful."

Sonny hung up the phone to the sound of Trent laughing, and turned to Davis, who was smiling at her own phone.

"He said we could go."

"I know. He just texted me and offered a lot of money for photographic evidence of you doing yoga."

"Ha ha. Very funny. Everyone is a comedian these days. So, what do dudes wear to yoga."

Davis laughs and heads to the spare bedroom, where Sonny's bag of clothes were still on the bed. Lisa was more than willing to share her bed with Sonny, but she wasn't ready to give him any of her closet space. She pulled out a pair of black compression tights and handed them to Sonny.

"I hope you have a few more layers for me, no way I'm wearing just that."

"Okay, hotshot." Lisa says with a laugh, handing Sonny a pair of workout shorts and a fitted sleeveless shirt. "It's easier for the instructors to help you with your form if you wear fitted clothes."

"Uh huh. Sure."

Walking in Sonny noticed there were only two other men in a sea of spandex-clad exceptionally fit women. He didn't care, he was happy to get out of the house, and happy to watch Davis walk around in tights of her own. Davis caught him staring at her as they set up their mats.

"See something you like, cowboy?"

"Huh? Oh. Um. Well… yep." Sonny responds with a huge grin.

Yoga was harder than Sonny thought. He wasn't the most flexible guy in the world, but he was more flexible than the average guy. He incorporated functional training into his workouts whenever possible, but this was a whole new experience. He was surprised how tired he felt by the end. He made a mental note of a few positions he wanted to try with Davis later, if he lungs would hold out.

Davis was able to take a few photos of Sonny but promised him they were for her own personal collection.

After a quick shower, Sonny crashed on the couch, while Davis checked her email.

Sonny notices the stern expression, and taps Davis on the shoulder, startling her out of thoughts.

"What's up?"

"It's nothing. Just a deadline looming, that I need to figure out."

"Uh huh. And is does this deadline have anything to do with OCS? You've barely mentioned in the last two weeks."


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

"Uh huh. And is does this deadline have anything to do with OCS? You've barely mentioned in the last two weeks."

"Yeah. I can't decide if I want to go or not."

"Woah. What do you mean?"

"With everything that has happened, I have to be realistic, and I'm just not sure I want to be an officer."

"Wait, this isn't because of me, is it? I'm all in, you know that. I totally support you."

"No. I know. You've been great. It's just… I don't know if I could make the decision that the sub commander made, if I had to. I don't think I could have let you die. Not just you, and of the guys. If I had the opportunity to save you, I don't think I could turn it down."

"Oh. I get it. That's why I'm 3. I don't want to have to make that call, and I'm glad Jason and Ray are 1 and 2, and not me."

"Yeah. Well. I've got to decide what to do by the end of next week. I just don't what happens if I turn it down."

"What do you mean? You stay with the team, stay with Bravo, right?"

"Well, yeah. I guess. But what about the rest of my career. Will I always be looked at as the girl that was too afraid to be an officer?"

"Woah. Hey. No one thinks you are afraid. You have a heart, and you care about the guys in your unit. That isn't a bad thing. And no one is going to think less of you for doing what you think is right for you."

"Thank you, Sonny. Now, when did you get so smart."

"Well, you see. I've been spending a lot of time with this super smart, super sexy, Navy badass. Maybe you've heard of her? Lisa Davis? Yeah, been spending a lot of time with her recently. I've learned a few things."

Davis leans over and wraps her arms around Sonny and gives him a kiss.

Sonny returns the kiss and pulls Lisa to him. Wrapping his arms around her to hold her tight, Sonny sighs. "You know, you're pretty amazing, right?"

"You might have mentioned that once or twice in the last few weeks."

"Uh huh. But did I mention how hot you look it tights?" Sonny says with a grin, pulling Davis down on the couch with him. "Come here." Holding her close, Sonny lightly trails his hand along Lisa's waist and down her leg. Sonny deeps the kiss, ask he runs his other hand through Davis' messy curls. He loves her hair down, and messy, and can't help wondering what she would look like waking up after a night of making love.

Davis wraps her leg around Sonny's, closing any gap that might have been between their two bodies. Davis returns Sonny's kisses, as she finds the hem of his t-shirt. Grabbing the cowboy hat off his head and placing it on her own, she pulls his shirt off in one quick motion. As much as he is enjoying watching Davis moving slowly down his bare chest with kisses, he stops her. Plucking the hat from her head, Sonny drops it on the coffee table.

Moving slowly, Sonny wraps his hands around Davis' waist, just under the hem of her tank top. Looking up at her face, for some sign of what he should do next. He smiles when he sees the look in Davis' eyes, and pulls her top off. Sonny hesitates for a split-second to enjoy the view, and to give Davis the opportunity to put on the breaks, if she wanted to. Knowing this was further than they had gone before.

Davis reaches over, and runs her hands through Sonny's hair, pulling him in for a kiss. She knew why he had hesitated, and he liked him just a little bit more for the gesture. Just as Sonny was starting to explore Davis' body, they were interrupted by a knock on the door."

"Ignore it" Sonny says breathlessly, "they will go away eventually." Just as they here Clay yell from the other side of the door, "hey, I brought food."

Turning to Sonny, Davis laughs, "That's on you. You brought the puppy home, now you have to take care of him."

Getting up with a grumble, Sonny hands Davis her shirt before looking around for his. Dropping it over his head, and making sure Lisa was fully clothed, Sonny snatched his hat from the coffee table and stalked to the door.

"Better be good Pretty Boy!" Sonny says with a glare, as Clay walks in with takeout and beer.

"What's his deal?" Clay asks Davis.

"Ignore him, he didn't get his nap today." Davis replies.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

The next few days were a blur for Sonny. He was back on the couch, unable to convince Davis to go on another field trip, and too tired and sore to put up much of an argument himself. He enjoyed the time he got to spend with Lisa, but he was ready to get back to his normal life. Sitting on the bench wasn't in his DNA. He wasn't sure what he would do if the doctors didn't clear him for active duty on Monday, and he wasn't ready to start thinking about alternatives.

Sonny was both elated and terrified when Monday morning rolled around and he was back on base. Walking down the corridor to learn his fate, he ran into Clay first, quickly followed by Cerberus. Turning the final corner, he saw the rest of the guys sprawled in chairs and sitting on the floor. He was surprised to see Jason among the group. He wasn't sure if he was happy that Jason was here or ticked off that he hadn't seen him in a week. He had seen most of the guys every day or two, with Clay stopping by to hang out every day. He had gotten a few texts from Jason, but nothing more than a simple "You good?"

After a round of high-fives and words of encouragement from the team, Trent walked Sonny through the tests that the doctors were going to do and asked if he had any questions.

"So, basically, I sit there and breathe while they do their thing?" Sonny asked sarcastically.

"Pretty much. Think you can handle that?" Trent replied with a grin and shoved Sonny in the exam room.

"Born ready, brother." Sonny replied with a cocky smirk as the door closed behind him.

After a quick exam, the doctor left to print the results, leaving Sonny alone to get dressed. As soon as the door closed behind the doctor, it was opened again by Trent, who was quickly followed by the rest of the team.

"What did the doctor say?"

"Nothing, yet. He went to get the print out of the results" Sonny replied, annoyed that he had to wait for the results.

The doctor walked back in to the exam room, startled to see six SEALs instead of the one he had left.

"If the rest of you will excuse us. Mr. Quinn, I have your results."

"Spill it doc, these guys know everything, and what they don't know they'll find out soon enough."

"Okay. Well, I have good news and bad news."

A collective groan rolls through the room, and the guys stand around shifting form one foot to the next, anxious to hear what the problem is.

"Your lung capacity is significantly improved since your last exam, it is now up to 4.5 liters. Which is not bad for the average male, but your baseline is at 6 liters. And I can't clear you until your lung capacity is at least 80% of your baseline."

Sonny wants to hit something but settles for a string of expletives.

The doctor understands his frustration, having worked at the base hospital for years, and as a field medic before that.

"We can test you again in a week, but for now, I can't clear you. I'm sorry."

The team stands around the small exam room, unable to believe that Sonny wasn't cleared for active duty. As the words of encouragement start, Sonny shuts them down quickly.

"Save it. I don't want to hear it."

Knowing that Sonny just wants to be left alone, the team files out, with Clay promising to text later.

Jason is the last of the team to leave. Turning to Sonny. "I want you working with Green Team this week."

"What?"

"Green Team. I want you to get some hours with Green Team until you are cleared for active duty."

"That's my consolation prize? Sorry, Sonny you can't be a SEAL anymore, but you get to train a bunch of guys so they can go live your dream."

"Hey. Come on. It's better than sitting at home on the couch, right? And you need hours if you are ever going to run your own team."

"We both know I'm never going to run my own team. As you and Blackburn have told me more than once – my kamikaze style of combat isn't something you teach."

"It's one week."

"Fine. One week."

"And. I want you to talk to Dr. Burke."

"Woah, I don't think so, boss. I don't need to have my head examined by the base psychiatrist. No way."

"Sonny, you died. You need to figure out what that means to you, and I need to know your head is on straight."

"Come on, boss. I'm good. It's been weeks since the sub. I've talked. I've talked to Clay. And Ray. And Trent. And Davis. I'm tired of talking about it."

"If you want back on Bravo, you're going to see Burke. That's final."

Sonny turns and stalks off, practically running into Davis in his effort to get as far away from Jason as quickly as possible.

"Where are you going?" Jason calls after Sonny.

"Don't worry about it," Sonny hollers back.

"Woah, what's going on?" Davis asks Sonny, as he almost runs into her. "I was just coming to check on you. How'd it go?"

"Go ask Hayes, apparently he is the expert!"

Letting Sonny go, Davis walks up to Jason, cocks an eyebrow, "what happened?"

"He didn't get cleared, he's close, but the doc said he needed to wait another week. I told him he was working with Green Team until he was cleared."

"Okay," Davis responds, knowing Sonny would be upset about not being cleared, but knowing there had to be more to the story to get the reaction she just saw.

"And, I told him he had to go see Dr. Burke."

"Jason, we both know he isn't going to see Burke. Sonny doesn't do therapy. He doesn't do feelings. He drinks. He hangs out with strippers. He spends time with you, Ray and your kids. He's never going to go for it."

"If he wants back on the team he will."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Sonny stalked around the base, pissed off and wanting to be alone. He finally made his way to building 5, to check in with Green Team.

He sees Reese, Alpha's former number 4. He took over Green Team after Adam was killed.

"Well, well, well. The last American badass, come to Green Team. What did we do to get this honor?" Reese teased, before reading the look on Sonny's face.

"Don't ask me, ask Hayes. He said I'm here for the week until I'm cleared."

"Sorry, man. I heard what happened. You good?"

"I'm good. Just wish everyone would stop asking how I'm doing. You know?"

"Got it. So, you ready to show these kids how a real SEAL does it? We're working on clearing in teams of three. The goal is for them to shoot the bad guys. Their results have varied."

"Alright, let's do it."

After a full day of drills with Green Team, Sonny was hot, tired and had almost forgotten about his other assignment from Jason.

"Hey, Reese. You ever go see Dr. Burke?"

"Yeah, a couple times, after a bad Op. You?"

"I don't do feelings, you know that. But Jason said I have to go if I want back on the team."

"Wow. Harsh. You gonna do it?"

"I don't know. I guess I have to."

"Good luck, man."

"Thanks," Sonny replied with a grimace, before leaving to find Lisa. He hopes he still has a ride home, but wouldn't be surprised if she left without him, after his attitude in the hallway earlier.

Sending a text, he is happy to see her reply is quick.

"Waiting on you. In the lot. Hurry up."

Smiling for the first time all day. Sonny half-jogs to meet Davis.

When he gets to Davis' jeep, he isn't surprised to find Clay, Ray, Brock and Cerberus with her.

"Davis filled us in. We're going for beers." Ray says with a smile on his face and worry in his eyes. He knows Sonny better than anyone, other than maybe Davis.

At the bar, Ray pulls Sonny away from the group. "Hey, man. You good?"

"I'm pissed. But I'll deal. It's one week. And one stupid appointment."

"You going to talk to Burke?"

"I guess I have to, right? I'll call tomorrow, get an appointment and get it over with. I can sit there for an hour if it gets me back on the team."

"Good. Jason is just doing what he thinks is best. You know that right?"

Sonny lets out a sarcastic chuckle. "For someone who thinks he knows what's right for me, he sure has been avoiding me the last few weeks. Don't you think?"

"I don't know what his deal is. He isn't talking to me, or anyone else. If I had to guess, he blames himself for what happened to you."

"Well, maybe he is the one that needs to talk to Burke, not me." Sonny adds with a sneer. "Let's go. More beer, less feels."

As happy hour ends, the team starts heading home.

Hopping in Davis' jeep. Sonny runs he hand through his hair and lets out a slow sigh and turns towards Davis.

"Hey. I think it might be time for me to go back home. To my place. I really appreciate everything you have done for me, and it's been great hanging out with you."

"But you're pissed off, and want to be alone?" Davis says, raising her eyebrow challenging Sonny to deny her statement.

"You know me well, Davis. You know me well. Yeah, that. And, I don't want anyone to start questioning how much time we have been spending together recently. It made sense before, but I'm good. I don't need anyone to watch me sleep anymore."

"You're right. Let's get you home."

That night, lying in bed, staring at his ceiling at 2am, Sonny realizes he is an idiot. He misses having Davis next to him. He didn't realize how much he would miss talking to her and hearing her laugh. He hopes they can figure out a way to stay together through OCS, and beyond. He isn't sure how it will work, but he knows he wants to put in the effort. He thinks of texting her, but stops himself, hoping that she is asleep.

Across town, Lisa is rolling over unable to find a comfortable position to fall asleep. She realizes she misses having Sonny in her bed. The thought brings a smile to her face, as she realizes how much she cares about him. When she kissed him for the first time weeks ago, she had no idea it would be more than a drunken mistake. She finally decides to postpone OCS, she isn't sure she wants to be an officer, after realizing what it might mean for the guys on the ground. She knows her career will be fine without it, and also knows she wouldn't be okay without Sonny. She thinks of texting him, but stops herself, hoping that he is asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

The next day, Sonny checks in with Reese, to plan the drills for the day and talk strategy. Reese lets Sonny lead the morning drills, wanting to see for himself what Sonny could do. He'd be in the field with Sonny numerous times over the years, but never ran drills with him, or had any idea what went on in his head. He knew Sonny had a reputation as reckless, but what the higher-ups call reckless, team guys often call 'looking out for the guy next to you'.

Reese was surprised how well Sonny did teaching Green Team. Not ever great SEAL could be a good teacher, but Sonny had a natural rapport with the guys. Watching Sonny easily breakdown complex ideas, and teach not only how to do something, but also why it was the best method made Reese secretly hope Sonny might stick around for a few more weeks.

The morning drills went over well, and the guys on Green Team seemed more enthusiastic about running drills with Sonny than Reese had ever seen, so he let Sonny run the afternoon drills as well.

Sonny went to find Davis after wrapping up for the day with Green Team. Walking towards the Logistics building, Sonny ran into Blackburn.

"Sonny, I just talked to Reese. He said you've been doing really well with Green Team. I'm happy to hear that. I know it isn't your first choice, but some of those guys might be your teammate down the line."

"Yeah, well. I do what I can, with what I've got. Besides, Hayes didn't give me much choice."

"Son, take the compliment. You're doing a good job. I appreciate it."

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir." Sonny quickly replied.

"How are the lungs?"

"Better. Apparently, not good enough, but better."

"Good, good. It will be good to have you back on the team."

"Yeah. We'll see if that happens." Sonny says with a bitter sigh, thinking back to his last conversation with Jason.

Davis walks up, interrupting their conversation. "Davis. You need me, or Quinn?"

"Oh, um. Neither really. Just wanted to hear how day two with Green Team went?"

"Well, I'll let Sonny give you the details, but Reese has been impressed" Blackburn says, walking off to let Sonny and Davis catch up.

"So, it's going well with Green Team, huh?"

"I guess" Sonny says with a shrug. "I don't intend to make a career change, but the guys seem to be listening, and they are getting shot in the face less. So I guess they are actually learning something" Sonny adds with a laugh.

"So, what's up?"

"Oh, um. I was wondering. Um. Uh. Um. Do you want hang out later? With me?" Sonny asks nervously fumbling over his words.

"You okay, there?" Davis teases, before quickly adding, "That would be great. You taking off now? I've got at least another hour, but I can call you when I'm leaving. We can meet up at the bar or something."

"Yeah? Okay. Great. Later, Davis" Sonny says with a nod that turns into a huge grin.

"Later, Cowboy. Get out of here, I've got work to do." Lisa says with a wave.

Leaving the base, Lisa sends Sonny a text. Not getting an immediate response, she decides to go home to shower and change, and call him after. Parking in her reserved space, she doesn't pay attention to the guest spaces to her right.

Unlocking her door, she picks up her mail and notices a pair of cowboy boots next to her door that hadn't been there that morning. Walking into her living room, she finds Sonny curled up on her couch asleep. Looking down at Sonny, Davis nudges his foot, waking the sleeping SEAL.

"Hey. Did you forget you live across town?"

"What can I say, I like your place better."

"Uh huh. I'm hopping in the shower."

"Yeah? You need some help?"

"HA. You wish, cowboy." Lisa replies, stealing Sonny's hat off his head, and stalking down the hall.

Freshly shower, and changed, Davis and Sonny head for bar.

"Truck's over there. I'll drive."

"You sure that's a good idea, cowboy? That means you're a lightweight tonight."

"Yeah, I know. I don't plan on going full-Sonny tonight. Just want to hang out with you, alcohol is just a bonus."

"Hmm, that was almost sweet."

"Don't get used to it."

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Sonny Quinn has feelings." Davis laughs, hooking her arm in Sonny's and reaching up to kiss his cheek.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that to get out, would we?" Sonny says, turning his head to catch Lisa's lips with his. Deepening the kiss, Sonny wraps his hand in Davis' hair, gently pulling her closer.

"Definitely, don't want that to get out" Davis replies, pulling back slightly to catch her breath.

Sonny's phone buzzes with a series of text messages, pulling both out of their thoughts of maybe skipping the bar, and going back upstairs.

Looking at his phone, Sonny laughs. "It's Clay. And Ray. And Brock, And Trent. And Clay again." Sonny says, as Lisa's phone starts buzzing.

"Yep. I guess they want to get happy hour started" Lisa says with laugh.

"Alright, then. Let's go. Text Clay. Tell him to order me a beer. And it better not have fruit in it."

"He says you're getting a Cosmo."

"He thinks he's funny." Sonny says with a glare, that turns into a laugh.

Sonny was happy to spend time with the guys and was surprised, and just a little annoyed, when he saw Jason in the corner.

"Hey Ray, what's he doing here? I figured he was still avoiding me?"

"Easy man. He's just doing what he thinks is right."

"Uh huh. Right for him? Or right for me?"

"It's not him vs you, brother. You're on the same team, remember?"

"Well, last time I checked. I was spending my days with Green Team, not Bravo Team." Sonny says with a sneer, and a glare towards the corner that was still occupied by Jason.

"Just talk to him."

"I tried. He's avoiding me, not the other way around, remember?"

"You two might as well be twins, you're both too stubborn for your own good." Ray says, shaking his head. "Davis, talk to your bestie. He's being a stubborn pain in my ass."

"That is not news. He's always stubborn, and he's usually a pain in someone's ass. I'm just glad that tonight, it's not mine."

"Hey," Sonny says with mock hurt. "I'm right here."

Finishing his beer, Sonny turns to Davis. "You want another beer, or are you ready to get out of here?"

"Let's roll. Brock and Trent are headed out now too." Davis replies, turning to Clay. "Hey, we're leaving, too. You good."

"Yeah. Um. I'm actually meeting someone here." He says sheepishly. "You remember that nurse, Brittney? I called her, and she is coming for a drink."

Sonny claps Clay on the back, before adding "treat her right, Pretty Boy."

"Don't worry, I'll follow the Sonny Quinn rules of courtship." Clay responds with a laugh.

Davis rolls her eyes at the two SEALs. She never would have predicted their close bond when Clay first joined Bravo. "You two are idiots."

"Let's roll, Davis," Sonny says, giving Clay another pat on the back, as his walks behind Davis out to the truck.


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Arriving back at Davis' apartment, Sonny turns off the truck and let's out a sigh. He doesn't want to go home alone, but he doesn't want to push Davis into a relationship she doesn't want. Sonny had thrown the ball into Davis' court when he told her he was all in for whatever she wanted, now he just had to wait for her to give him a signal.

"You want to come up? It's still pretty early." Davis asks.

Sonny decided to take that as the signal he was hoping for. Allowing a smile to escape, he looks over at Davis. "I thought you'd never ask."

Walking in to the apartment, Davis heads straight for the kitchen. "You want to cook something, or get delivery?"

Following Davis into the kitchen, Sonny walks up behind Davis, and wraps his arms around her. Brushing her hair aside, he kisses her collarbone, before spinning her around to kiss her fully on the lips. "I've got everything I need right here."

"I'm good with that too." Davis responds breathlessly, running her heads through Sonny's thick hair.

Sonny pulls Davis closer, as she wraps one leg around his waist. Trailing kisses down Davis' neck, Sonny looks up at Davis. "I can't believe how much I want you right now." Davis responds with a kiss, as she removes Sonny's flannel shirt. "I know." Lisa says before yanking Sonny's undershirt over his head, too.

Sonny's hands explore Davis' body, before unbuttoning her shirt and exploring it further. "You know, if we keep this up, I'm not going to stop." Sonny says, cupping Lisa's breast with this hand, before covering it with this mouth.

"Who says I want you to stop?" Lisa says, unbuttoning Sonny's belt, looking him in the eye.

"Well, in that case", Sonny responds, pulling Lisa closer, wrapping her legs around his hips, as he lifts her up and carries her down the hall to the bedroom.

Closing the door behind him, Sonny gently tosses Lisa on the bed, before kneeling next to her. "You sure you want to do this?" He asks.

Davis nods, wrapping her arms around Sonny's neck, kissing him greedily, "I'm sure, cowboy."

"Alright." Sonny says with a deep southern drawl. Rolling over onto his back, "Come here."

The next morning, neither Sonny nor Davis wanted to get out of bed. This was all new to Sonny, as he usually left in the middle of the night, with a note that promised to call, conveniently leaving off his phone number. But Lisa wasn't a one-night-stand. Far from it. Sonny had no desire to run away or make promises he knew he wouldn't keep. Instead he just wanted to lay in bed with Davis and hope to make her happy for as long as she would put up with him.

Feeling Sonny slowly stir awake, Davis shifted over slightly to look at her best friend. She knew he was now more than that, but she was comfortable with that label, and she was sticking to it for now.

"Hey, good morning." Davis says in a slightly sleepy whisper.

"Hey, I didn't realize you were awake." Sonny responds with a horse whisper of his own.

"Where you hoping to sneak out in the middle of the night?" Davis asks with a cock of her eyebrow and a kiss.

"What? No. Not me. No regrets here." Sonny replies, returning Davis' kiss. "You?" He asks.

"Nope, not a one." Davis replies. Sitting up, and throwing one leg over Sonny, so she is sitting on his stomach looking down at him. "Now get up. I'm taking a shower, and you're cooking breakfast."

Grabbing Davis around the waist before she could hop off the bed, Sonny wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. "Last night was amazing. You are amazing. And I'm extremely lucky."

Smiling, "You're right, you are extremely lucky", Davis replies. Burying her face in Sonny's hug, "You're pretty amazing, too, Cowboy."

Breakfast was less awkward than either of them were expecting. Sonny hadn't stayed for breakfast after sleeping with someone in years, and Davis' track record wasn't much better. The two easily fell into a friendly banter, talking about their day ahead, and making plans for their evening.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

Back on base, Sonny tried his best to focus on the drills he was running with Green Team, but his thoughts kept returning back to his night with Davis. When the team broke for the afternoon, Sonny made his way to Dr. Burke's office, wanting to get this over as quickly as possible.

Still bitter about having to talk to the shrink, Sonny answers Burke's questions with short clipped responses. Sonny wasn't trying to be difficult, he just didn't see the point. He had accepted his fate on the sub, said what he needed to say. He wasn't drowning his feelings in strippers or booze. He'd talked to Davis about what happened, and Clay, and Trent, and Ray.

To Sonny's surprise, the doctor didn't focus on his experience on the submarine for most of the hour. Burke asks Sonny about his experiences in combat, and whether he is okay with everything he has seen and done.

"Well, yeah. I've seen and done things the average person couldn't even fathom, but that's what we do. We do what we need to do to make sure our country is safe. I'm good with that. If that means Jason's son doesn't have to do what I do, I'm more than good with that. Evil exists, and I'm here to take it out. I know my place, and I know where I stand. I'm good."

"Well, Mr. Quinn, our hour is up. While I suspect this will probably be our last conversation, I want you to know you are welcome in my office any time. You seem to have a solid support system, and that is important, but my door is open if you ever feel like you need it."

"It was a good chat, Doc. And don't take this the wrong way, I hope I never have to see you ever again." Sonny says with a smile, shaking hands with the doctor and walking towards the exit.

Sonny runs into Clay walking out of the building.

"So, did the shrink convince you to give up the military life, and become a rodeo clown?"

"Ha ha. Very funny, Kid. Nope. Didn't say much, just asked a bunch of questions."

"Good, I'd hate lose you to the Pro Rodeo Association. You up for a beer? I gotta tell you about my date with Brittney, if you could call it that."

"Sure thing, One Direction. Meet you there in 10?"

"Sounds good, cowboy."

Sonny sends Davis a quick text. "Talked to Burke. I'm good. Beer with Clay. Meet us?"

Davis responds quickly. "You two are on your own. Meeting with Blackburn. Then home."

"I'll text you when we're done. See you later?"

"I'll be up."

Sonny reads the last message and smiles, his thoughts flashing back to the night before.

Clay is already sitting at the bar with two beers in front of him when Sonny walks it. Shoving one in Sonny's direction when he sees him approach. Clay smiles and shakes his head.

"You're never going to believe my night." Clay says, taking a sip of beer. "Apparently, Brittney was pissed that you gave me her number, because she never showed up."

"Ouch. Sorry, man. You can't win them all."

"Oh, that's not the end of this story. She sent one of her friends. A girl she went to nursing school, Julia. I'm sitting at the bar, checking my watch when this super-cute brunette walks up. She asks if the seat next to me is taken, and I tell her I'm actually waiting for someone, but she's an hour late. Now, I'm kicking myself for wasting my time, when Julia says my date isn't coming. Says Brittney told her she was going to stand me up, and Julia felt bad, so she came in her place."

"Oh man, that's messed up. Why even agree to the date if she was going to stand you up?"

"Don't know, don't care. Julia was awesome. She is a nurse at the pediatric hospital in town. She has two brothers, one Navy, one Marine. Her dad was a Marine. And she is cool as hell. We're going out again this weekend."

"Seriously? That's great, kid. Next round on me." Sonny says with a smile, genuinely happy Clay had found someone. Julia sounded like she could handle the life of a SEAL much better than Stella. Clay was the type of guy that did better with a relationship, he wasn't built for the Sonny Quinn life of one-night-stands and strippers. Sonny wasn't sure he was built for that lifestyle anymore either, he thought with a smile.

Sonny looks up and sees Davis' lights are still on, as he parks his truck. Jumping out, Sonny jogs up the stairs and his happy to see Davis waiting at the door for him.

"Hey, I was hoping you were still up." Sonny says, giving Davis a quick kiss before stepping into the apartment.

"I told you I would be up. How is Boy Wonder? How'd his date go?" Davis says, settling back on the couch.

Joining Davis on the couch, Sonny chuckles, and says "Started rocky, but had a happy ending. Wait, that sounded wrong. The date ended well, all parties fully clothed."

"You're such an idiot," Davis teases, turning to face Sonny, throwing her feet in his lap.

"Brittney stood him up, apparently she didn't she wanted the original-model, not the upgrade" Sonny says with a full laugh, as Davis rolls her eyes. "But one of her friends came instead. They really hit off, she's from a military family, works with kids at the hospital. They are going out this weekend."

"Wow, good for him. He needs a nice girl. One that understands what it's like to be in the military."

"Don't I know it." Sonny says pulling Davis close, kissing her on the neck. "Dad and brothers are Navy or Marines. She been around it her whole life. I think she gets it. Enough about Baby SEAL, how did your meeting with Blackburn go?"

"Good." Davis responds with a heavy sigh.

"I'm guessing by that sigh you made a decision."

"Yeah. We talked it over. What my options were if I went, what they would be if I didn't go. What would happen if I re-applied next year, or in ten years. It was a long discussion."

"Well?" Sonny asks anxiously, trying to keep his tone even, but fully hoping Davis opts out of OCS, at least for the time being. He knows he is being selfish, but he knows Bravo needs Davis, and Davis needs Bravo. He also knows her becoming an officer means their relationship would absolutely have to end. Dating another enlisted was bad, an officer and an enlisted was really bad.

"I told Blackburn I wasn't ready to leave Bravo yet. I'm going to postpone OCS until I'm 100% sure that is what I want to do."


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

Sonny isn't surprised to see the whole team waiting for him as he walks down the corridor on Friday morning. Cerberus is the first to greet him, clipping him behind the knee to get the attention he wanted. Clay and Trent were closely behind. Sonny chatted a few seconds with each, giving Jason a quick nod before greeting Davis with a hip-check and a grin.

"Let's get this over with." Sonny mumbles as he opens the exam room door.

Sonny knows what the doctors are looking for and knows the results he needs to be cleared. When he blows a 5.2 on the lung capacity test he knows he's back on the team.

Walking out, waiting for the doctor to give him the paperwork to clear him for active duty, Sonny can barely contain the grin on his face.

"Mr. Quinn. Here is your paperwork. You are officially cleared for active duty. I'll send a copy to your C.O."

"Thanks, Doc. It's been a pleasure." Sonny says, shaking the doctor's hand as he is all-but tackled by Clay. The rest of the team joins in the celebration with only Jason and Davis keeping their distance.

After the congratulations and high-fives had died down, Jason clears his throat, and says "Sonny, can I have a word?"

"Sure, boss. What's up?"

"Listen, I'm glad you got cleared. But I want you to stick with Green Team for a couple more weeks."

"What? What are you talking about?" Clay jumps up, yelling.

"Easy, kid. What do mean, boss? I did what you asked. I worked with Green Team, I talked to Burke."

"I know. But I need to make sure your head is on straight before you're back on the team. I want you back in Burke's office. 20 hours, minimum. Then we will discuss Bravo."

"You have got to be kidding me? Twenty hours? That will take weeks. Neuro cleared me two weeks ago, my head is good."

"You're not taking this seriously. All I've heard from you for a month is that you're good. You died Sonny, you need to deal with that. And make sure you're ready to come back."

"Unbelievable! You know, it's funny. I've seen every one of these guys every day. I've talked to them every day. I spent two weeks on Davis' couch. And you know, what? None of them are questioning where my head is. None of them are questioning whether or not I'm ready to come back. Just you. Just the one guy that hasn't been around. Hasn't looked me in the eye in three weeks. You are the only one that is worried about my head. You don't have a clue where my head is."

"Now wait a minute, Sonny" Jason interrupts.

"You gonna send me to Green Team for six months, like you did Ray? Is this your way of getting me off Bravo? You know what? Screw you, Jason!" Sonny yells before turning and stalking off down the hall, out of the building.

Clay moves to go after him but is stopped by Ray and Davis. "Let him go. He needs to cool off." Ray says before turning to Jason. "What the hell, man?"

"I'm just doing what I think is right." Jason says defensively.

"For who?" Clay questions. "The team? Sonny? You?"

"Hey! It's my call. End of discussion." Jason fires back sternly and storms off in the direction of Blackburn's office.

The team looks at each other, unable to believe what just happened. Just five minutes ago they were elated that their brother was back, and now, they weren't sure they had a team. They begin to scatter, needing time to process what just happened. Brock turns to Cerberus, nodding in the direction that Sonny had just gone, "let's go find our boy."

Ray turns to Davis and Clay, the only two members of Bravo left in the hallway. Clay points two fingers at Ray's chest. "Did you know about this?"

"Easy, kid. No. Jason hasn't talked to me either."

"Sorry, I'm just pissed. This is unbelievable. We need Sonny back on the team. It doesn't work without him."

"I know." Ray responds with a shake of his head. Turning to Davis, "Is he gonna be okay?"

"If I know Sonny, he is going to be pissed and stubborn for a couple days, but he'll put in the work. He needs Bravo as much as Bravo needs him. Give him a couple days. He'll come around."

"Yeah, but will he ever trust Jason again?" Ray asks, worry radiating off his face.

"That might take more than a couple days. They need to talk." Davis replies.

"I'll try to talk to Jason, you guys let me know if you hear from Sonny." Ray says, walking off muttering under his breath.

Reese is surprised when Sonny shows up at 9am for Green Teams first drill of the day.

"Hey, man. What are you doing here? I thought you'd get cleared this morning."

"Yeah, me too. Hayes had a change of plans?"

"Hayes? What do you mean?"

"Got cleared. Hayes says he wants me to put in 20 hours with Burke before he'll let me back on Bravo. Told me to stick with Green Team."

"Holy crap. Are you serious? What are you gonna do?" Reese says, running his hand through his hair.

"I don't know, man. For now, I'm here. I have no intention of spending the next month talking to a shrink, but what are my options?" Sonny says, sighing and leaning back on one of the lockers.

"Well. You know. Johnson is running Alpha now."

"Yeah. Good dude. We've run a couple Ops with them since he took over. Solid dude. So what?"

"Remember that Op we ran together a couple years ago? The one in Kuwait?"

"Yeah." Sonny says with a laugh. "So?"

"Well, he hasn't shut up about it since. Every time your name comes up, he tells that story. He's got a man-crush on you for sure. If you're looking to get back on a team, I know he would take you in a second."

"Oh, man. Leave Bravo?"

"I'm just saying. You have options." Reese says, punching Sonny in the leg. "Let's roll. We've got SEALs to teach."


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Davis gave Sonny a day to cool off. Sending him a couple texts to let him know she was there if he wanted to talk. Sunday morning she woke up and drove over to his apartment. Walking up to the door, she wasn't sure what she would find. Sonny had been doing really well lately, and she hoped Jason's ultimatum didn't send him back to getting drunk and sleeping around.

Sonny pulled open the door before Davis could knock. "What are you doing here? I'm not really the best company right now."

"Yeah, I figured. Let me guess. You're pissed. You want to break something. Or maybe someone. You want to get drunk enough that you blackout and forget what's going on. You've smashed a few glasses, or maybe a couple plates? Yeah, I've been there." Davis says.

Sonny moves aside, letting Davis enter. Flinging a glass across the room, he faces Davis. "Pretty much. What else you got?"

"I don't know. I usually feel better after that. Then I go to Target and get new glasses."

"Huh. I hadn't considered Target." Sonny says with a smile. Feeling his anger melting away as he looks at his best friend. "All right. Let's go."

"Wait. What?" Davis asks, stunned. "Go where?"

"Target. I either need more glasses, or more glasses to throw at the wall. I might as well get some that you like. You coming or not?"

"What are you going to do, Sonny?" Davis asks, a little unsure what Sonny will say.

"Reese said Johnson wants me for Alpha. Said he's wanted me since that Op in Kuwait." Sonny says with a shrug.

"You'd leave Bravo?" Davis asks, worried.

"I don't want to. Not at all. But if Jason keeps this up, it might be my only option. I'm not going to sit on the bench because Jason doesn't think my head is on straight."

"He's just worried. You know he cares."

"Yeah? He's got a funny way of showing it." Sonny says with a grunt.

Pulling back into the lot in front of his apartment, "So, Davis. Got any plans for today?"

"Just hanging out with you, cowboy." Davis says with a quick smile.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Sonny says with a grin. Leans over and kisses Davis. "Thanks for coming over."

Over the next several weeks, Sonny and Lisa fell into an easy rhythm, spending most nights together at Davis' apartment.

"Why don't we ever stay at your place, cowboy?" Davis asks over dinner.

"Your place feels like home. My place feels like somewhere I store my clothes between Ops. I don't know, just feels someone actually lives here, you know?" Sonny replies.

"You know, you could actually decorate your apartment?" Lisa teases.

"Yeah, I guess. I never really thought about it. When I first moved in, I figured I wouldn't be there long. I'd either start a family like Ray, or I'd go out in the field like Nate. Didn't see the point of wasting time with throw pillows."

"Wow. That's a little morbid." Lisa says with a shudder.

"Sorry. Not easy being Sonny Quinn."

"Or being in a relationship with him." Davis adds quickly.

"Oh, is that what this is? Hmm, thought we weren't gonna put any labels on whatever this is?" Sonny teases.

"Yeah, well. I didn't say what type of relationship, now did I?" Davis says with a teasing smirk, before adding, "And yeah, I'd call this a relationship."

"Easy, there Davis" Sonny says, putting up his hands in mock defense. "I told you weeks ago I was all in. Still am." Sonny adds, clearing their plates from the table.

Davis grabs the rest of the dishes from the table and loads them in the dishwasher. Sitting on the counter, watching Sonny rinse off the glasses before adding them to the dishwasher, Davis can't help but think how right it feels having Sonny here. Davis smiles at the thought.

"Hey, cowboy. Come here." Davis says with a smile

"Yes, ma'am." Sonny replies, walking up to Davis and wrapping his arms around her, as she wraps her legs around his waist. Sonny leans in for a kiss, and pulls Lisa to him, resting her weight on his hips. "Let me show you just how all in I am." Sonny says, turning and carrying Davis to the bedroom.


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

Sonny finishes his workout and lays on the mat in the middle of the floor, catching his breath and stretching. Ray has one more set on the bench, and Clay is spotting him. There is so much noise around him that Sonny doesn't notice someone new has walked into the gym.

Laying on his back, Sonny is working on his obliques when the sun suddenly vanishes. Squinting up at where the sun was just seconds ago, Sonny sees Jason's sunglass-clad face.

"Sonny, we need to talk." Jason says sternly.

"No, we don't. I don't regret anything I said, and judging by the look on your face, you don't regret your decision either." Sonny says, standing up to look Jason in the eye.

Clay and Ray look over, unsure if they should step in. Both Sonny and Jason were stubborn and could be hotheaded. They kept their distance for now, knowing the two needed to hash out whatever the problem was.

"Thanks for the workout boys. See you tomorrow." Sonny says, nodding to Clay and Ray, before adding sarcastically. "I'm off to therapy, only 15 more hours. Unless someone decides to extend my current sentence."

"Sonny…" Jason yells, annoyed.

"Jason… good talk." Sonny says, before stalking off in the direction of Dr. Burkes' office.

Walking up to Jason, Ray puts his hand on his boss' shoulder. "You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you? He is pissed. He doesn't understand why you are making him do therapy. He thinks you want him off the team. Sonny is family, and you're treating him like the red-headed step child you never wanted."

"Damnit, Ray! I know! But he died. How is he going to react the next time we go on an Op with water? Is he going to be okay?"

"Jason, honestly? He's good, man. I've talked to him more than once. He's not downing a handle of Maker's every night and hooking up with a bunch of strippers. He's hanging out on Davis' couch, watching TV and eating take out with Clay. Clay's talked to him, Davis has talked to him. Neuro cleared him. Burke cleared him. Chen cleared him. What's holding you back?"

"I don't know. You really think he's good?"

"Yeah, man. Honestly? He's better now than I've seen him in years. The rest has done him good. And Clay won't leave him alone, and Davis has really been there for him. He's never had that before. He usually goes home and well, you know the drill." Ray says with a shrug.

"Great. How do I get him to stay in the same room with me for more than 2 minutes so I can talk to him?"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. You're the boss." Ray says with a chuckle.


	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

"Hey, anybody home?" Davis yells, as she walks into her apartment. Based on the noise coming from her living room, there was more than one SEAL home. After hearing about the argument Sonny had with Jason this afternoon, she had a pretty good idea which two SEALs she would find.

"Hey Davis" Clay yells.

"Davis!" Sonny hollers, with a huge grin on his face. He jumps up to help Davis with her stuff. "Hope you don't mind. I told the kid to come over to watch football."

"That's fine." Davis says with a laugh, "As long as we are watching my 49ers. Jimmy G is smoking the west coast."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll take JJ Watt and Clowney, over your pretty-boy QB."

"Pretty-boy? His stats don't lie. He's the real deal." Davis fires back.

Clay yells from the living room, not wanting to get in the middle, "Hey, you guys want pizza or wings?"

"Last time I checked we were still in America, Blondie." Sonny yells.

"So? Both?" Clay questions.

"Very good." Sonny responds, handing Clay a beer. "I've taught you well."

Davis comes back into the living room, after changing out of her uniform, and sits on the couch with Sonny.

"So, who is going to fill me in on what happened this afternoon?" Davis says, raising her eyebrow in Sonny's direction.

"Don't look at me. I had a great afternoon. Ran drills with Green Team. Got in a workout and had a lovely therapy session that I didn't need but am forced to attend."

"Yeah. Let's talk about the 10 minutes between working out and that therapy session." Davis says with a hint of an edge.

"Let me guess. You ran into Ray?" Sonny says, with a touch of annoyance.

"Bingo." Davis says with a smirk.

"Come on, Davis. It's nothing. Jason is happy with his decision. And, I'm putting in the hours with Burke. There's nothing to talk about."

"Uh huh" Davis says, skeptically.

"What? He's avoided me for weeks. Told me to go work with Green Team. Made me go see a shrink. Then, as soon as I get cleared by real doctors, he adds 20 hours of therapy to my sentence. What he does want from me? A thank you note? Not going to happen." Sonny says, irritated.

"Sonny," Davis says with a sigh. "I get it. But, it's Jason. He's family. You have to talk to family."

"I know. This one is going to take some time. Something is up with him, but he isn't telling me, or anyone else what it is. "

"You know, I talked to Blackburn today. He has grounded Bravo until you're back on the team." Davis says, changing the subject, knowing it was going nowhere.

"What?" Sonny asks, shocked, as Clay just sits there gaping open-mouthed at Davis.

"Yep. Said he doesn't like the dynamics right now. He said it was Jason's decision to make you to see Burke, and he isn't going to overrule him, but he doesn't like it. He said there wasn't anyone else that could fill your spot, so he's grounding Bravo until you guys work it out."

"Wow." Clay says, stunned.

"Hmm." Sonny sighs. "Geez. Does Jason know Blackburn has grounded the team?"

"I don't know. I don't know if Blackburn has told Jason that he has officially grounded the team, but he has to have noticed that the team hasn't been spun up in… what? 5? 6 weeks?"

Running his hand over his face, and through his hair, Sonny turns to Clay. "Sorry, man."

"Don't worry about it. Not your fault. You've put in the work." Clay says with a shrug. "Besides, Blackburn is right. We can't go without you. You're the weapons specialists. Who would we get, Chet from Delta?"

"No way!" Sonny replies quickly. "That guys an idiot. Greg from Alpha isn't bad. He's pretty solid."

"Well, doesn't matter. You guys are grounded." Davis adds, getting up to get another beer.

Just as Davis is sitting back down, having handed fresh beers to both Clay and Sonny, her cell phone buzzes. Surprised to see a text from Jason, she tries to keep her expression neutral as she reads the message.

"BBQ. My place. Saturday. Make sure Sonny is there."

Looking over at Davis and trying to read her expression and coming up with a mix of worry and annoyance. "What's up?"

Davis smirks, throws her feet in Sonny's lap. "Don't worry about, cowboy."

Later that night, lying in bed, Davis turns to Sonny. "So, that text? It was from Jason."

"Of course." Sonny responds with a snort. "What did he want?"

"Apparently, he wants to talk to you. Saturday. BBQ. Said I had to make sure you showed up."

"Sorry, I think I have plans that day." Sonny says with a chuckle.

Sonny spent the rest of the week reading text message, after text message. The entire team, minus Jason, has been blowing up his phone, all asking the same question: "Are you coming on Saturday?"

Sonny didn't have an answer, so he didn't bother to reply to any of them. He saw them on base, worked out with the team, and avoided all questions about Jason, therapy and what he was planning on doing that weekend.

By Friday evening, Sonny was tired of the barrage of texts. Fed up, he launched his phone across the room. Hitting the chair, it bounced on the cushion and was lost from view. Sonny couldn't hear the notification chime, and that was good enough for him. He'd find his phone on Sunday. Or never. At this point, he really didn't care.


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

Sonny wakes up on Saturday and rolls over with a grunt. He'd hoped to spend the day in bed, with Davis. But she's nowhere to be found. Getting up, Sonny walks to the kitchen for coffee, grumbling about BBQ.

He really doesn't want to talk to Jason, but knows it is inevitable if he wants to rejoin Bravo team. He would prefer to just finish out his 20 hours of therapy and quietly rejoin the team. He doesn't want to talk about why Jason did what he did. He doesn't really care. He's pissed off, and for now he wants to stay pissed off.

Lost in his thoughts, Sonny doesn't notice Davis staring at him from across the room. Davis fake coughs, not wanting to sneak up on Sonny.

"About time you got up. I thought I was going to have to drag you out of bed." Davis says, giving Sonny a quick kiss, as she pours herself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, well. I was hoping you'd take the hint and come back to bed." Sonny says, looking at Davis over the rim of his coffee cup.

"Uh huh. Maybe tomorrow. Today, we have plans." Davis says, opening the fridge and gathering butter and eggs for breakfast.

"I don't think so." Sonny says with a snort. "You have plans. I seem to have been left out of that text message group."

"Sonny. I will drag you to Jason's house myself." Davis says, pointing a spatula at Sonny. "This is stupid and it has to end. Now. No one is happy. You're not. The team isn't. Blackburn is over it."

"I know. But it isn't my mess to clean up. I'm doing exactly what Hayes told me to do. I'm working with Green Team, and I'm going to see Burke. I'm doubling up on appointments when I can. I want this to be over as quickly as possible. If Jason wants to talk about his feelings, he can make an appointment with Burke. I don't want to hear whatever excuse he has told himself to make him feel better about screwing me over. I don't want hear it. I'm putting in the work. I'm doing my job. What more do you want from me?" Sonny says, exasperated.

"Sonny. Sit. Eat. Please?"

"Fine." Sonny mumbles, joining Davis for breakfast at the table.

"Sonny. You know I'm on your side. I know you don't want to listen to Jason, but he's Bravo 1. If you want to be Bravo 3, you have to talk to him."

"You're right." Sonny says with a resigned shrug. "I don't like it. But you're right."

Finishing breakfast, Sonny clears the plates from the table. "Alright, I'm gonna head home. Change. Shower. Maybe do something with this beard."

"You're going to shave? I don't even remember the last time I saw you without a beard."

"Woah, there Davis. Sonny doesn't shave. And, I'm not sure you've ever seen me without a beard, except maybe pictures. Just going to trim it, so I don't look like ZZ Top. Unless you have a thing for ZZ Top and never told me?" Sonny says with a grin.

"Go. Shave." Davis says, playfully shoving Sonny out of the kitchen.

"What time does this thing start anyway?" Sonny asks, as he opens the door to leave.

"You know Jason, it's an all-day event. Guys will start showing up between 11 and 12. Usually, you and Jason would be up at dawn smoking a hog and drinking." Davis trails off, looking at Sonny.

"Right. Well. I'll pick you up? 12?" Sonny asks, looking at his shoes.

"Sounds great, cowboy. Hey? It's going to be good. You'll see." Davis says, praying that Jason doesn't screw this up too.

"Yeah. I guess. See you in a little bit." Sonny says, walking off, still looking at his shoes.

Getting in his truck, Sonny fishes his phone out of his pocket. With a sigh, he sends Clay a text. "I'll be there."


	28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

By noon, the BBQ was in full swing. Brock, Trent and Jason were in the backyard with the grill, while Ray and Clay were in the front waiting on Sonny, tossing a football with Jason's son, Mikey, to occupy their thoughts.

Clay is the first to notice the bright red 1967 Mustang fastback pull to the curb.

"Who's that?" Clay questions Ray, unable to see who the driver was because of the glare on the windshield.

"You've never met Sally?" Ray teases. "Oh, man. She is amazing."

"Who?" Clay asks, getting annoyed. He had met all of the guys girlfriends and knew none of them were named Sally.

"You are such a child. Mustang Sally? Wilson Pickett? It's a joke."

"Uh huh." Clay responds, still slightly annoyed.

"It's Sonny's. You've never seen Sally? Oh, man. He loves that car. Hardly ever drives it. That's why he lives across town. It's the only apartment he could find with a garage to park it."

"You're kidding, right? It's just a car." Clay responds.

"Oh no. The 1967 Mustang fastback is an American institution." Ray says. "But that's beside the point. The real question is: Who is in the passenger seat? You see, Sonny only drives the 'stang when he is trying to impress a smoking hot girl."

Sonny jumps out of the car and nods at Ray, Clay and Naima who has walked out to greet him. Naima has always had a soft spot for Sonny. She always worries about his drinking and wants him to find a nice girl to settle down with. One that will challenge him to be a better man and put up with him being a SEAL. And she reminds him of this often.

Sonny jogs to the passenger side to open the door for Davis. Ray sucks in a breath when he sees who has stepped out of the car. Looking back at his wife, they share a silent look, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Clay chucks Ray on the shoulder, bringing him out of the moment. "Shows how much you know, it's Davis." Clay says with a laugh.

"Yeah, kid. Huh. How about that." Ray says, still pondering what he just saw.

Sonny greets Clay and Ray with a fist-bump, and grabs Mikey by the neck, ruffling his hair. "How's it going kid? Ready to give up hockey for football, yet?"

"No way! I'm working on a new trick shot."

"Oh yeah? You'll have to show it to me later." Sonny says, releasing Mikey and walking up to Naima.

"There's my girl. You've been avoiding me." Sonny teases.

"That is not true and you know it. Get over here and give me a hug." Naima responds, hugging Sonny. Pulling away, Naima adds, "You're getting skinny. You're not eating enough. I need to feed you. Come by the house this week. I'll get those pounds back on you."

"I'm eating. I promise." Sonny says, looking over his shoulder. "Ask Davis."

"Naima. It's been too long." Davis says, hugging Naima. "He's been eating. I promise."

"Hush, you. You're too thin too. Both of you. You're coming for dinner next week. I'm feeding you both."

Looking from Davis to Naima to Ray, Sonny smiles, and says "Yes, ma'am. I'd love to."

Sonny makes his way through the house, and out to the backyard, greeting the guys and their significant others along the way. Trent, Brock and Cerberus are in the yard with Jason, who is drinking a beer and manning the grill. Sonny gives Jason a curt nod and walks over to say hello to Trent and Brock. Picking up a beer, Sonny catches up with Trent and Brock, while playing fetch with Cerberus.

After feasting on hamburgers, brats and BBQ pork for lunch, the crowd thinned slightly, with several support team members leaving to go back to base. Blackburn stopped by for a few minutes to check on Sonny, and Jason, but had to leave to watch his daughter's volleyball team play in a tournament.

After lunch Sonny nodded to Davis, who was talking animatedly with Naima, and walked through the house to the front yard. He was happy to get away from the crowd of people. He knows they mean well, but everyone was either asking him how he was, or staring at him and Jason like they were afraid they would punch each other in the face at any moment. Sonny would prefer to punch Jason in the face to talking about his feelings, but he wasn't sure that tactic would get him back on Bravo team any faster.

Sonny was lost in his thoughts when he heard shuffling in the garage. Walking over, he sees Mikey with a hockey stick and a bucket of balls, moving a small goal to the driveway.

Walking over, Sonny hollers, "I thought you guys used pucks?"

Mikey looks up, startled. "Oh. Hey Sonny. Pucks won't slide on the concrete. You have to use the street hockey balls to practice."

Sonny grabs the discarded blocker and mitt, and hops in the goal. "Alright, kid. Let's see what you got."

"Have you ever played hockey before?"

"I'll have you know, I was an excellent goalie in high school. State record for shutouts in a season."

"Really?" Mike asks skeptically.

"Yes. Really. Okay. It was soccer. But how hard could hockey be? The net is tiny, and I've got a mitt." Sonny responds with an easy smile, happy to be doing something other than talking about himself or his thoughts and feelings.

Mikey gets the best of Sonny for the first few minutes, as Sonny gets used to the gear, and tracking the 'puck'. After a while, it becomes a fairly even match, with Mikey scoring a few goals and Sonny stopping a few. After clanging a few shots off the garage door, Mikey hears Jason yell from the porch, striding over to the driveway. "Mikey, what have I told you about hitting the garage door?"

Jason stops short when he sees who is in goal. Standing up straight, Sonny looks over at Mikey, then Jason. "Sorry, boss. My idea. Wanted to see what the kid had been working on."

Still stunned from seeing Sonny in goal, thinking he had already taken off. "It's okay. Don't worry about it." Jason stammers, turning to leave. He takes two steps towards the house before turning back around. "Actually Mikey, I'm going to need to borrow your goalie for a minute."

"Okay, Dad." Mikey says, starting to gather up the loose balls. "Thanks for playing, Sonny."

"You got it, kid." Sonny replies, ruffling Mikey's hair, and tossing him the last ball.


	29. Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Sonny looks expectantly at Jason, who just nods towards to road. "Let's walk, we need to talk."

Walking down the road, Sonny was growing more pissed off by the step. They had walked to the end of the street and taken a left, and Jason was still silent.

Finally breaking the silence, Jason says, "Sonny, I did what I thought was best. I didn't think you were taking this thing seriously."

Hearing the same garbage explanation he had heard four times over, Sonny abruptly turns around. And starts walking back to the house.

"Woah, we're not done." Jason says, grabbing Sonny by the collar to stop him.

"The hell we aren't. I've heard this before. You thought it was best. I died. I'm not taking recovery seriously. I need to get my head on straight. Sound familiar?" Sonny barks, stalking off down the street, to continue their walk.

"Sonny…" Jason starts, before getting cut off.

"I'm done listening, man. I'm good. If you don't believe that, then screw you. Cut me loose. I'll join Alpha." Sonny says heatedly staring at Jason, willing him to argue.

"Sonny. Damnit, man. Come on."

"Come on? I've been straight with you since I got out of the damn tube. I put in the work. I followed the doctor's orders. I rested. I got cleared by neuro. I got cleared by Burke. I got cleared by Chen. I've talked to Ray. I've talked to Trent, and Clay, and Davis. Do any of them have any concerns about me in the field?"

"Sonny…" Jason says, before getting cut off again.

"I'll answer that for you. No. They don't. You know why? Because they've been there for the last two months. Everyday. Where the hell have you been?"

"Sonny…" Jason says, before getting cut off by Sonny once again.

"You're still stuck on that sub. Not me. You. You blame yourself. I died. I get that. But, man. You've got to wake up and look around. I'm walking, and talking, and breathing. I'm still here. And, I don't blame you. Or anyone else. I know what I signed up for. I know the risks involved. It happened. It was the worst day of my life. But I'm still here. You have got to accept that. Or cut me loose. I'm not going to sit on the bench and go to therapy for the rest of my life because YOU feel bad that I died on your watch." Sonny says, finishing his rant with a heavy sigh, he turns to stalk down the street once more.

"Sonny…" Jason starts with a pause. Rubbing his hand over his face, trying to regain his composure. "You're right. I've been avoiding you. I couldn't face you. I made you go on that Op, and you got hurt. You died. Looking at you. Dead. I couldn't handle it. One more thing that I messed up. I put you on the bench because I knew you'd be safe. I didn't want to risk you getting injured, or worse, on my watch again."

"Jason. You can't protect everyone. You have got to stop blaming yourself for Nate. And Alana. And Adam. It's not your fault. You can't put everyone you care about in a bubble. You're going to drive yourself crazy."

"I'm Bravo 1. It's my job to make sure everyone gets home."

Sonny slowly steers Jason back towards the house.

"You can't protect everyone, all the time, Jason. Even Superman has an off day." Sonny says as the reach the driveway.

Picking up his now warm beer, Sonny walks into the house, leaving Jason in the driveway with his thoughts.

Most of the team is in the house, watching football or in the kitchen talking. There are a few outside, sitting around the firepit. Sonny smiles, seeing Davis outside with Naima and Ray. Sonny pours out his warm beer and tosses the empty bottle in the recycling bin. He turns around to see Clay staring at him, quickly followed by Ray.

"Well? Did you talk to Jason?" Ray and Clay ask at the same time.

"Yeah. We talked." Sonny says, clearly done talking about his feelings for the day.

"And? What did he say? Are you back on the team?" Clay asks impatiently.

"Don't know. He didn't say. And I didn't ask." Sonny says, tiredly rubbing his face.

"What do you mean?" Ray asks.

"We talked. I talked. He talked. We didn't exactly come to a complete resolution." Sonny says, looking around for Davis, or anyone else that would get him out of this conversation.

"But…" Clay starts, before stopping and realizing he has no rebuttal.

"Listen. We talked. I think we've come to an understanding. Okay? But, no. He didn't welcome me back to the team with open arms. That's all I've got. Do with it what you will." Sonny says, walking outside.

Sonny was surprised to find Davis outside alone, staring at the fire. Walking up behind her, he wraps his arms around her in a bear hug. Turning slightly to return the hug, Davis looks up at Sonny. "You talked to Jason?"

"Yep."

"Good."

Happy that at least one person isn't going to grill him, Sonny tightens his hold on Davis, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I love you," Sonny mumbles.

Sonny immediately takes a half step back, loosening his hold on Davis.

"I.. um… I mean…" Sonny stammers.

Davis takes a step back and looks Sonny in the eyes. "Anything you want to take back, Cowboy?"

Sonny looks in Davis' eyes, and smiles. "Nope. I'll stand by my previous statement."

Davis laughs, and pulls Sonny back into a hug

"Good. I love you, too." Davis says, burying her face in Sonny's chest.

Ray and Naima stare at the two out the kitchen window. Watching their embrace, Naima turns to Ray. "I told you they were good for each other."

"You don't think they are really together, do you?" Ray whispers.

Looking at her husband, Naima shrugs her shoulders. "Does it really matter?"

Monday morning, Sonny is working out with the team when everyone's phones go off with a notification.

"Looks like Mandy has something for us." Jason says.

Sonny leans back on the bench, ready to do a few more reps, as the rest of the team gathers their stuff.

"Let's go, cowboy. Meeting room three. Ten minutes. Don't be late!" Jason yells from the door.

Ray looks at Sonny expectantly. Sonny just shrugs. "Don't ask me. I thought Bravo was grounded."

"I guess Jason talked to Blackburn. Welcome back, brother." Ray says.

"Thanks, man. Good to be back."

Bounding over to the two, Clay claps Sonny on the back.

"Calm down, One Direction. We've still got to figure out where Mandy is sending us this time. And there better not be water involved." Sonny says, only half kidding.

Entering the meeting room, Sonny finds his spot next to Davis.

"Welcome back, gentleman." Blackburn greets the room. "Sonny, good to have you back on the team."

"Good to be back, sir." Sonny says with a sincere smile.

Turning towards Davis, Sonny smirks and says, "If this mission involves water, you can have my spot."

"Sorry, cowboy. No water this time, just a lot of sand." Davis says, smiling at her best friend.

"Good. Sand I can deal with." Sonny says with a laugh, turning his attention to the front of the room.


	30. Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

NINE MONTHS LATER

Sonny was just putting the finishing touches on dinner, medium-rare filet mignon, grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes, when Davis walked in.

"Hey, Cowboy. What's all this?" Davis asks, looking around at the candles, wine glasses and cloth napkins. "Did I miss something?"

"Can't a guy just do something nice, every once in a while?" Sonny says, mocking hurt feelings.

"Uh huh." Davis says, not buying it. "What's going on, Sonny?"

With a sigh, Sonny puts the plates down on the table and looks at Davis.

"We need to talk." Sonny says with a sigh.

"Those are always the words a girl wants to hear." Davis says, sitting down.

"Come on. It's not like that. Here me out." Sonny says, hoping he can pull this off without getting punched in the face. "I've been thinking. I think you should reconsider OCS."

"What? We've talked about this, Sonny." Davis says, getting hot.

"I know. And, I think we need to talk about it again. You earned it. And, that's a big deal. Not many people get this opportunity, and I don't want you to throw it away. I know what you said. I know you have reservations. But also know you. You are going to be amazing. And, I think you should go for it." Sonny says, searching Davis' face for a reaction, and not getting the one he had hoped for.

"Sonny, if I go to OCS we are done. Is that what this is about? Are you looking for an easy way out? Relationship Sonny is over, back to bars and strip clubs. Is that it?" Davis says, standing up and walking out of the dining room.

"Not exactly." Sonny says quickly.

Turning back around to face Sonny, Davis is shocked when she sees that he has followed her. But instead of striding after her with an argument, Sonny is kneeling down, on one knee, holding a small wooden box.

"What are you doing?" Davis whispers.

"Lisa Davis, will you marry me?" Sonny says, looking Davis in the eye, opening the box in his hands to reveal a classic, white-gold engagement ring.

"Sonny, what are you doing" Davis says, still too shocked to comprehend what is happening.

"Well, I'm trying to tell my best friend that I'm in love with her and want to spend the rest of my life with her. But I'm not sure it is going well." Sonny says, standing up, walking towards Davis.

"So, you aren't trying to get me to go to OCS to break up with me?" Davis says, cautiously.

"Nope. Not even a little. I told you. I'm all in. Still am. Now, are you going to make me ask you again, or are you going to answer my question?" Sonny says, wrapping his arms around Davis, hugging her close.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Davis says. Jumping back from Sonny's hug, holding out her hand. "Yes."

"Yes?" Sonny asks, reaching for Davis' hand, sliding the ring on her finger.

Looking from Sonny to the ring, Davis smiles. "You're right, we need to talk."

"Can we at least eat while we talk?" Sonny says, turning to point out the candle-lit dinner in the next room.

"Sure, Cowboy."

"So… OCS…" Sonny begins. "I talked to Blackburn."

"You did what?" Davis interrupts.

"Easy, Davis. He brought it up, not me. He said your commission was postponed for a year. So you can still go this year, without reapplying."

"But how, I told him I was going to reject it?" Davis responds, slightly confused.

"Well, apparently Blackburn has faith in you, too. He might have pulled some strings last year, told them that one of your guys just died, and you weren't ready to leave the unit."

"Wow. He didn't tell me." Davis says.

"Can you blame him? I thought you were going to punch me in the face back there, when I brought it up." Sonny says, teasingly.

"Yeah. Well. I might have misread your intentions." Davis says, leaning over to give Sonny a kiss, and flashing an easy smile.

"Yeah, you did." Sonny responds with a smirk.

"You really think I can do this?" Davis asks, looking Sonny in the eye.

"Darling, you can do anything." Sonny says, clearing the plates from the table.

"But, how are we going to work if I'm not on Bravo?" Davis asks, a little worried.

"We'll figure it out." Sonny answers, wrapping his arms around Davis, pulling her into a hug.

"So, when are we getting married, Cowboy?" Davis says, looking up and smiling at Sonny.

"The sooner the better, OCS starts in 6 weeks."

"And, the Navy won't punish an officer for being with an enlisted, if they are married." Davis says, realizing why Sonny wants to rush the wedding.

"And, the Navy does its best to station married couples in the same area." Sonny adds.

"Alright, Cowboy. What did you have in mind?" Davis asks.

"Well, remember that wedding I went to with you? Like 3 or 4 years ago? In New Hampshire? I think it was one of your cousins. Michael, maybe?"

"Yeah. His wife is a nightmare. They had a dozen peacocks roaming the plantation, and like 500 guests." Davis says, remember how ridiculous she thought it was.

"And remember what you said?" Sonny asks with a smirk.

"I said, I'd drive down to Charleston without telling anyone, and get married on the beach with no one but a minister and my husband." Davis says, remember their conversation.

"Well? You still feel that way?" Sonny asks, looking at Davis, trying to read her expression.

"Yeah. Of course. I was never one of those girls that wanted a big, princess wedding."

"Well, got any plans this weekend?" Sonny asks, smiling.

"Seriously?"


	31. Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

Earlier that day.

It's Tuesday morning, and Ray is sitting on the couch watching Dora the Explorer with his kids when his cell phone chimes. Ray sits up and looks at the screen, seeing Sonny's name pop up. With a sigh, Ray opens his phone to read the text, wondering what Sonny has gotten himself into this time.

"I'm freaking out. Can you get over here?" Sonny's text reads.

Worried, Ray immediately responds. "I'll be there. Where are you?"

"I'll send you the address. Just you, no one else." Sonny responds.

"On my way." Ray texts. He turns to Naima, "I have go, something is up with Sonny. I'll let you know what's up when I can."

"He was doing so well. Tell him I still love him." Naima says, with a sad sigh.

"I'll tell him, right after I kick his butt." Rays says, walking out the door shaking his head.

Driving across town Ray is growing more and more annoyed. This isn't the first time he has come to Sonny's rescue. Picking Sonny up from a one-night-stand's place, or some bar after a wild night was a weekly occurrence before Ray married Naima and had kids. The past few years, rescuing Sonny has mostly fallen to Davis. Shaking his head, Ray wonders what Sonny has gotten himself into, and why he didn't call Davis.

Pulling into the parking lot, Ray is surprised to have arrived at a park near Sonny's apartment, instead of a bar or strip club downtown. He parks his truck next to Sonny's, and looks around, Spotting Sonny a few yards away, sitting on a bench with his head in his hands, Ray slowly walks over.

"Hey, brother." Ray says, sitting down next to Sonny. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry I called. Tell Naima I'm sorry for bothering you guys on your day off." Sonny says, not raising his head from his hands.

"Don't worry about. You're family, and Naima loves you." Ray says, with a chuckle, nudging Sonny's leg with his knee. "Talk to me, man. What's going on?"

"You gotta promise me that this stays between us. You can't say anything. To anyone."

"Yeah. Okay. Sure. You're kind of freaking me out, man. What's going on?" Ray asks, getting worried.

With a heavy sigh, Sonny raises his head an inch and looks at Ray, before dropping his head back into his hands.

"I'm a couple hours away from making the best decision of my life, or the biggest mistake. And I'm freaking out. I want to do it. But what if it blows up in my face?" Sonny says, blowing out a sigh, a staring at the ground.

"I'm going to need a little more information. What are you planning?" Ray asks cautiously.

After a long pause, Sonny looks Ray in the eye.

"I want to ask Davis to marry me."

"Wait. What? Jeez." Ray says, virtually speechless. Standing up, looking down a Sonny, Ray asks the first question that pops into his head. "Is she pregnant?"

"What? No." Sonny replies, exasperated.

"Okay, then. Let's walk this back. What's going on?" Ray asks, sitting back down on the bench, trying to be calm, but he's internally freaking out. What the heck is Sonny doing?

"Davis and I have been seeing each other…" Sonny starts.

"Okay…" Ray says, "How long?"

"About a year."

"So, since the Op in North Korea?" Ray asks, starting to understand.

"Yeah. We had a moment, or two. Before that. But I kind of screwed that up. But I fixed it after we got back. And, it's been good. Really good." Sonny says, looking up at Ray, trying to read his face.

"Okay. Wow. Okay." Ray says, processing what he has just heard. "How the hell did you two keep this from the team for a year?"

"I don't know. We didn't really hide it. We've always been close. Especially the last few years. It's not like we were going to start making out in the middle of meetings. You know? After a while, it was just normal. And nobody asked, so we didn't mention it. We didn't want to put anyone else in a position where they had to lie, in case the Navy started asking questions."

"So, why are you freaking out?" Ray asks.

"What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if the Navy decides to investigate how two members of the same unit are suddenly married?"

"Well, yeah. Those are good questions. I'm pretty sure you know the answer to the first one. The second one, that could get complicated. You've got to ask yourself: is it worth it?"

Looking down at his hands, Sonny laughs. "Yeah, man. I didn't think I had it in me. You know? Relationship and Sonny Quinn are not words you hear in the same sentence. But with Davis, it's different. I look at her, and I want to be a better man. You know?"

Ray claps Sonny on the shoulder. "On man. You've got it bad."

"Shut up." Sonny says, not really meaning it.

"I get it. That's how it was with Naima. It was easy to skip the bar, ignore the strip clubs. So, what's the plan? You got a ring yet"

"I've got a ring. Had it for a couple weeks. But it's complicated. We're in the same unit."

"Yeah, okay. And you've been in the same unit the last 4 years. One of which you two were together. Right?"

"It's not that easy. I wish it was. If she says "no", I lose my best friend and my girlfriend."

"But if she says "yes", you get to marry your best friend. You think she will say no?" Ray asks.

"I know she loves me. But she has been worried about the UCMJ from the start."

"Well. Yeah. But you guys have been together for a year. And no one has noticed. No one."

"I know." Sonny says, blowing out a sigh. "But this thing could go sideways 47 different ways."

"I can't tell you what to do, I'll just tell you the same thing my dad told me, when I was freaking out about asking Naima. If she's the one, you'll know." Ray says, following Sonny back to the parking lot and their trucks.

"Thanks man. Remember. Don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Anyone. If this goes sideways, I don't want it leaking into the team." Sonny says, clapping Ray on the back and walking toward his truck.

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed." Ray says, shaking his head. Wondering what he is going to tell Naima, and hoping that Sonny makes the right decision, and makes it fast.

"She's definitely the one." Sonny mumbles, as he climbs into his truck.


	32. Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

Back on base the day after Sonny's proposal, Davis is trying to act normal, but is secretly freaking out. She was in a meeting with Bravo team, and Ray kept looking between her and Sonny. She couldn't read his expression, but he was definitely up to something. Davis is making a mental note to thank Sonny for purchasing the Qalo ring that was currently on her right hand, instead of the more telling left hand.

After the meeting, Ray hangs back waiting for Sonny.

Making sure no one could hear him, Ray elbows Sonny in the ribs. "Hey man, I couldn't help but notice Davis' left hand."

"Leave it alone man." Sonny says, attempting to walk away. He didn't want to keep anything from Ray, but his relationship with Davis was still off-limits on base. Sonny

"Come on, man. Don't leave me hanging." Ray says, a little hurt that Sonny won't tell him what happened, or if anything happened at all.

"Don't worry about it. Everything is good." Sonny says, quickly maneuvering around Ray to the door.

Later than night, Sonny and Davis are making their final plans for the wedding when Davis mentions Ray's behavior in the meeting.

"It's like he knows something is going on between us. Do you think he really knows? Do you think anyone else knows?" Davis asks, worried.

"Ray knows. He knows we are together. He doesn't know we are engaged. No one knows that." Sonny says with a sigh.

"How?" Davis says, her worry increasing. "When did he find out? Do you think he told anyone?"

"Easy, there, Davis. He found out yesterday. I told him, he had no idea we were together. I was kind of freaking out about asking you to marry me, and I talked to Ray about us."

"What?!"

"I know. Hear me out. I swore him to secrecy. And it's Ray. He's not going to say anything. To anyone."

"You're right. It's Ray. He's had your back more times than I have." Davis says with a smile.

"I don't know about that. But yeah. He's had my back for years. I feel kind of bad not telling him, or the rest of the team. But I don't want anyone to have to lie if the Navy starts asking questions about our relationship."

"I feel bad too, but we will tell everyone when we get back. And we can throw a party and invite everyone. Like a wedding reception, without the wedding." Davis responds distracted.

"Bravo team does like a party." Sonny says, with a laugh. Reaching for Davis, Sonny pulls her into a hug. "They will understand. I promise."

"I know. Enough of that. Let's recap." Davis says, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"Okay. I talked to Jim Tanner, the owner of the Wedding House. Yeah, not making that up. That's the name of the house. I guess they name them down there, like you would a boat. We're good there. Got that house Friday through Sunday evening. He sent a bunch of photos of the house, and the deck."

"I checked them out. It's so cute, I love that house. And the platform they built in the sand, is perfect!" Davis says, finally shaking off her nerves and getting excited.

"He said they built it a couple years ago. Some bride-zilla wanted a beach wedding but refused to get sand on her dress. I feel for the guy that married her." Sonny says, laughing.

"Wow. I don't think you will have to worry about that. I'm pretty sure the Navy has made me immune to sand." Davis says with a laugh.

"You and me both." Sonny says, giving Davis a hug.

"He also checked with the owners of the houses on either side of the Wedding House. Neither of them have been rented for this weekend, so it should be pretty quiet for the ceremony." Sonny adds.

"And Tanner said he could officiate the wedding?" Davis asks.

"Yep. He's official. He has already gotten all the paperwork ready for us. He will officiate the wedding, his wife will be our witness, and they will file all of the paperwork on Monday." Sonny says, relieved that they were able to work everything out so quickly.

"And Jim's wife, Sara, is taking me to her dress shop on Friday afternoon. She sent me a ton of photos and got my measurements. I'm pretty sure I know which dress I'm wearing, I just need to see it on. The flowers are good to go. What else" Davis says, checking items off her list.

"I think that's it. Jim has my shirt and pants already. So, I think we are good." Sonny says, looking at his list. "Oh, wait. The rings!"

"We might need those." Davis says with a laugh.

"I guess. Not like we will wear them much. Probably wear the Qalo rings 90% of the time." Sonny says.

"I don't care. I want a real ring. And you're getting one too!" Davis says, looking sternly at Sonny.

"Your wish is my command. I'm picking the rings up while you are picking up your dress. So that is covered." Sonny says.


	33. Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

Friday morning, Sonny and Davis were on the road by 9am, both eager to get to Charleston as quickly as possible. They spent most of the drive retelling old stories from their history together.

"I can't believe how many of my stories you are featured in, cowboy." Davis says hooking her arm through Sonny's.

"We have a long history, Davis. That's for sure." Sonny says, looking at Davis and smiling to himself. "I'm sure there will be more where those came from."

"I can't wait to get there. I want to see the house and meet Jim and Sara. They sound so cute on the phone." Davis says, looking out the window.

"We should hit Wilmington in a few minutes, so we should have another three hours to go." Sonny says, looking at the GPS.

"Let's stop in Wilmington for lunch." Davis says, scrolling through the GPS, looking for a quick place to eat that doesn't have a drive-thru.

"Thank god." Sonny says with a sigh. "I need to stretch my legs."

"You should have said something. We could have stopped earlier." Davis says, turning her attention to Sonny.

"Uh huh. I've seen your itinerary. If we aren't in Charleston by 4pm, it's not going to be on me." Sonny says with a laugh.

Jim and Sara Tanner were waiting at the Wedding House when Sonny and Davis pulled into the driveway at 3:30pm.

"Welcome to the Wedding House." Jim says from the porch, walking down to meet Sonny and Davis. "Let me get your bags. And then Sara and I will show you around the property."

"Don't worry about. I've got the bags. We packed light." Sonny says with a laugh, extending his hand to greet Jim.

"It's so good to meet you both. We are thrilled you chose the Wedding House for your wedding. If there is anything you need, please let us know. Anything at all." Sara says, hugging both Davis and Sonny in turn.

"I'm sure we have everything we need. But thank you." Davis says, following the older couple into the house.

After a quick tour of the house and property, Davis and Sara leave to pick up Davis' dress. Sonny leaves for the jeweler, after getting directions from Jim.

"Listen, I really appreciate all the help you and your wife have been getting this wedding planned so quickly. It really means a lot to me." Sonny says, shaking Jim hand again.

"And we appreciate your service to our country. If you need anything else, you let me know. Otherwise, I'll see you outside tomorrow at 11." Jim says.

"I'll be there." Sonny says with a grin.

"You are a vision." Sara says, as Davis twirls in front of the mirror.

"You really think so?" Davis asks, beaming.

"It's perfect! You are going to look amazing." Sara says.

"I can't believe it. It was almost too easy. Is it supposed to be this easy?" Davis asks, laughing.

"When it's right, it's right. Don't question it." Sara says with a chuckle.

Sara puts the dress in a garment bag, as Davis gets dressed.

Davis texts Sonny on the drive back to the house. "Hey. On the way back. Where are you?"

"Got the rings. Driving back. Ten minutes out." Sonny responds.

Davis is hanging up her dress when Sonny walks in. "Do I get a sneak peak?"

"You do not. It's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding." Davis says, shutting the closet door so Sonny can't get a look at her dress. Davis isn't really superstitious, but she didn't want to take any chances.

"We wouldn't want that." Sonny says, pulling Davis in for a kiss. "You ready for tomorrow?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Davis says, eagerly returning Sonny's kiss.

"I was going to suggest getting dinner, but I think that can wait." Sonny says, kissing Davis' collarbone and moving to her neck. Picking Davis up, Sonny strides for the bedroom.

"Dinner can definitely wait." Davis says, catching her breath between kisses.

Sonny wakes up in a tangle of sheets, unsurprised to find Davis already up.

Hearing Sonny moving around, Davis yells from the kitchen. "Hey, you want breakfast?"

"I could eat." Sonny says. "Come here. Relax." Sonny wraps Davis in a hug. "Sit. I'll cook."

"I can't sit. My brain woke up three hours ago." Davis says, standing up and buzzing around the kitchen, grabbing plates, glasses and silverware.

"Sit. You're freaking me out." Sonny says with a smirk. "Everything is set. The weather is perfect."

Grumbling to herself, Davis sits down and lets Sonny take over making breakfast. Neither are very hungry, mostly picking at their eggs and toast. Sonny isn't nervous, he just wants it to get started, but it's only 8:30 by the time they finish breakfast.

"Hey. Come here." Sonny says, holding his arms out for a Davis. "I guess it's time for you to get ready. I'll be three doors down the beach, hanging out with Jim, if you ladies need anything. Meet you outside at 11?"

"I'll be there, Cowboy." Davis says, burying her face in Sonny's chest, enjoying the moment.

"Later, Davis." Sonny says with a smirk, as he grabs his bag.

Waiting on the beach with Jim, Sonny keeps checking his watch every 30 seconds.

"Take it easy, son. It's still 5 minutes to 11. And, trust me. She's worth the wait." Jim says, clapping Sonny on the shoulder.

"I know." Sonny says with a smile. Before grumbling, "I'm just ready to get this started."

"Looks like you are in luck, there she is." Jim says, pointing to the deck of the Wedding House.

"Wow." Sonny says, catching sight of Davis. He had never seen anyone as beautiful as she was at that moment. Taking a deep breath, Sonny exhales. "Wow."

Watching Davis walk down the aisle, Sonny is speechless.

"Hey, Cowboy. Thanks for waiting for me." Davis says when she reaches Sonny.

"it was worth the wait. You're amazing. Let's do this thing." Sonny says with a smile, regaining his ability to breathe, and speak.

As Jim was starting the ceremony, Sonny her a cough behind him.

"You guys need a couple witnesses?"

Turning toward the intruder, Sonny and Davis are surprised, but not shocked, to see Ray and Naima walking towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Sonny and Davis ask at the same time.

"I guess I could ask you two the same question." Ray says, giving both Davis and Sonny a mocking disapproving look.

"You two didn't think you could go off and get married without us, did you?" Naima says, smiling at her two friends.

"I'm sorry, man. I just didn't want you to have to lie if the Navy came calling." Sonny says, hugging Naima and fist-bumping Ray.

"Yeah, well we're family. We'll deal with it together." Ray says.

"How did you find us?" Davis asks.

"I had to call in a few favors…" Ray starts, as they all turn towards the noise coming from the house next door. A dog is barking, and they hear shuffling on the deck.

"I thought you said those houses were empty." Sonny says, turning towards Jim.

"Well, they were. Until Ray here called me Friday afternoon." Jim says, as he nods down the beach.

All of a sudden, a couple benches appear out of nowhere, and the party next door starts streaming down to the beach.

"You're kidding me?" Sonny says, looking at Ray.

"I told you, I had to call in a few favors." Ray says, as the rest of Bravo, and a few members of the support team, make their way towards the group.

"Sonny! I'm gonna kill you!" Jason yells from the deck.

"He's kidding." Ray says, turning to Davis and Sonny, both still stunned at the circus enfolding before them. "I think."

Striding up to Sonny and Davis, Jason kisses Davis on the cheek.

"Take care of him." Jason whispers in Davis' ear.

"I always do." Davis whispers back.

"And you," Jason says, turning towards Sonny. "Take care of her."

"I'll do my best." Sonny says.


End file.
